If I Could Change the World
by Meredith T. Tasaki
Summary: Ash gets kidnapped by Team Rocket, and they use their mistake to further their research...
1. Brock's Kareoke

~If I Could Change the World~ 

Author's Note: No, I don't own Pokemon... How DID you guess, Sherlock... I don't own 'If I Could Change the World' either. Did you REALLY think I was Billy Joel?

And about this guy: He is not just a one-time character. 

Yes, I will make it AAMRN eventually...**_IF_**...

If I do not get any stupid reviews saying only "MAKE IT AAMRN!!" I will make it AAMRN. Too many of those, and I will make it Egoshipping to torture you. (No offense!! I know you can be touchy!!) I am not talking about mature reviews saying, "Wow, this is good/bad/okay, I just would really like to see it AAMRN." If I am forced to not make it AAMRN, then I'll find the mature readers' e-mail addresses and send the AAMRN ending to them. This comes more into play in the next chapters; nothing has happened at the moment. This is just a warning, so you can not complain. Thank you; On with the fic!

Prologue: Brock's Karaoke

"Good evening everybody and welcome to the annual Viridian City Ball!!" said the announcer in an over-excited voice. "I hope you all have fun tonight, but you won't for the moment--It's karaoke time!" The audience looked at him oddly. "Eh heh..." he said sweatdropping. "Anyway, first up in our karaoke is Brock--"

"Whaaaaa?!" said Ash and Misty in the audience.

"--singing that old Billy Joel hit, 'If I Could Change the World'. Take it away, Brock!" The announcer stepped off the stage as Brock came on, nervously smoothing his hair. The beginning strains of the song came out of the speakers, and Brock focused his attention on the Viridian City Joy, who was wearing a spaghetti-strap dark green dress. Ash, prepared for an off-key, corny-sounding rendition, was stunned when Brock actually sounded good--_Quite _good. 

A man with long, dark brown hair came up to them suavely. "Hello, madam. Could I trouble you for a dance?" 

To Ash's utter surprise, Misty blushed. "Sure!" 

They walked to the dance floor, Misty's sky-blue dress shimmering under the lights. 

As Ash watched, Brock came to the chorus of the song, Nurse Joy watching him intently. 

"If I could cha-aa-ange the world,

I would be the sunlight in your universe, 

You would think my love was really something good,

Baby, if I could,

Cha-a-a-ange, the world."

__

If I could change the world...

Nurse Joy was staring at Brock, starry-eyed. _Huh,_ thought Ash. _Maybe this time Brock'll actually get a date with her. _

He looked at Misty, whose orange hair spilled softly out behind her, only checked at the top by a blue bow; Misty, dancing some dance he didn't know the name of, looking for all the world like she was falling in love. 

__

Misty...

He stood there, lost in thought, until the end of the song. 

A minute later, Brock came up to him. "Hey Ash! Joy, you remember Ash, right?"

She chuckled. "How could I forget?"

Brock continued. "Anyway, Joy and I are going out to that new Italian restaurant tomorrow night. So don't make any plans to leave without me!"

"Aw, come on, Brock, you know I have to get back to Indigo Plateau tomorrow..." Ash said. "How about you take an off day? You can get back to Pewter the day after tomorrow. Is that okay?"

"I guess so," said Brock. "Come on, Ash, why don't you have some fun? It is a party, you know. Why don't you dance with someone? Misty, maybe?" Brock said, hinting pointedly. 

"She already is," Ash said, pointing to Misty and the other guy, still dancing.

"...Oh," said Brock, surprised. "Well, then..." He was at a loss for words.

"You know, Brock, I think I'll turn in. See you later." 

"Um...Bye Ash..." Brock was at a loss for words as he watched his best friend leave.

The DJ started playing a song, as there were no more karaoke contestants to be found. 

"Let's dance," said Joy. 

Brock grinned happily. "Whatever you say."

Back at the Pokemon center, Ash sighed as he got into bed. 

__

Have fun, Misty.

He rolled over and fell asleep, not noticing the gas coming in through the window...


	2. Team Rocket's Mistake

~If I Could Change The World~

Author's Note: Guess which baka author got the names of singers messed up?! ME!!! ^^;;;; Thanks for telling me, _misty_2000_and_beyond_!!!!!!! I'm pretty sure you're right because I wouldn't know. Sorry, Eric Clapton ^^;;;;;;; . (Hope I got his name right...LOL) 

Note 2: Thanks for not living up to my expectations!!! I guess all of the idiots have been weeded out! The fic is going on as planned!!! *hears cry of joy* ...But it only works out in the sequel. ^_^;;;; *hears cries of disbelief and annoyance* Yep, there's a sequel. And the AAMRN is in it! *cries of joy resound* But you have to read this to get to it. *hears sighs* Don't worry, this is where it gets interesting! 

Chapter One: Team Rocket's Mistake

Misty was already in the lobby of the Pokemon Center when Brock walked out, yawning and stretching.

"Man, that was some party, huh?" she said cheerfully, spooning sugar onto her cereal.

"Uh-huh." Brock nodded, sitting down at the table.

"I hear you actually got Nurse Joy to go out with you," Misty said, taking a bite of her cereal.

Brock sighed wistfully. "Nurse Joy..."

Misty's mallet soon whacked Brock back to reality. "Oh, yeah, she is!!"

Her eyebrows went up. "Wow."

"Ring ring ring, ring ring ring, phone call, phone call, ring ring--"

"Gah!!!" said Misty, grabbing the phone. "Why do they keep that annoying ring?!!!"

A woman in a business suit appeared on the screen. "Hello, is Ash Ketchum there?"

Misty paused. "Uh, I think he went to Indigo Plateau. Sorry."

"This is Indigo Plateau," said the woman.

Misty bit her lip nervously. "Well, I guess he must be here...If he's not there...Would you hold for a second?"

"Um, yes..."

Misty looked at Brock. "Well...Maybe he overslept. Yeah! That has to be it!"

"I dunno..." said Brock.

"Well, you at least have to check! Go on, Brock, check!"

"Why won't you?"

"Um...Because! I have to talk to this lady!"

"All right..." Brock walked down to Ash's room and knocked. "Hey Ash! You're late for your thing!" He waited. Nothing. "Ash, wake up, you sleepyhead!" He waited again. 

"Hey, it's Team Rocket!! They're stealing Pikachu!" he tried. Still no answer. 

"Ash, don't make me come in there..." he warned. "Fine!! Have it your way!" He flung open the door. 

He stared around the empty room in disbelief. "Uh, Misty?" he called. "I think we have a little problem..."

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Ash slowly opened his eyes. It didn't make much difference, because it was pitch black anyway.

__

What in the...

"So. What have you three idiots brought to me this time?" he heard a deep male voice say. He'd heard it before, but couldn't quite place it. 

"Well, we gassed the room like you told us, but..." Ash recognized the voice as James's.

"But what?" said the man.

"Uh, the Pikachu wasn't in there, boss," said Jessie.

"But we did get the twerp!" said James hopefully.

__

They must've put sleeping gas in the room! They thought Pikachu would be there! Suddenly, Ash was grateful for the fate that gave Pikachu that cold. _At least he wasn't there..._

"You imbeciles!!!" roared the man. "Why didn't you check?!"

"Well, the Pikachu is always with the twerp, I don't know why it wasn't!" whined Meowth.

"You fools have just gotten us into BIG trouble!!" roared the man. "Everyone's going to be looking for this kid!! We'll be lucky if they don't find him!!!"

"We're sorry!!" squeaked Team Rocket.

"Go to your quarters. I'll find you a new assignment soon."

"Yes sir!" There was a faint noise of footsteps. 

"You two!" the man snapped. "Deliver this package to room 202." He chuckled. "Those fools' mistake might actually prove of some value to us..."

Ash suddenly had the feeling of being lifted. He'd recovered enough to tell that he was in a cardboard box. _They're carrying me somewhere_, he realized.

He gasped as the box he was in was plopped unceremoniously to the floor.

"What is this?" a high reedy male voice asked.

"Something from the boss," a gruff voice answered. 

"Well, what is it?"

"How would I know? We're just carrying the thing!" 

"Well, I have it," the first man said. "You can leave now."

"Well, fine then," the second man said testily. As footsteps receded down the hall, the man muttered, "Stupid scientists...A couple degrees and they think they're God..."

"I heard that!" the first man called down the hall. "Well, let's see what you are..."

He pulled the flaps open. Ash blinked furiously in the sudden light.

"Ah, a test subject!" said the man, who had brown hair and wore his lab coat over a Hawaiian shirt and slacks. "How nice!"

He grabbed a syringe and drew out Ash's blood while Ash was still adjusting to the change in light. 

The scientist tapped away at the computer keyboard. "Oh, this IS interesting..." He grabbed a syringe filled with amber fluid and jabbed Ash's arm again. "You may just be the breakthrough we need!" As the world faded, Ash heard the scientist say, "Test subject 265, DNA sample 204, new DNA...I think we should use the one we've been saving...Dratini and Mew.........."

~


	3. Darkness Again

~If I Could Change the World~

Author's Note: This is where it gets odd. ^^;; Hey, I'm one of those people who like fantasy--You know, swords and wings... ^^ I really hope you like this, please R&R, and if you hate AAMRN, don't read the sequel. ^^; The sequel is the only part AAMRN haters will have trouble with. We now return to our regularly scheduled fic.

Chapter Two: Darkness Again

Misty got back on the phone with the woman from Indigo Plateau. "Are you SURE he's not there?"

"Of course I'm sure!" she replied irritably. "We searched the whole stadium!!! Mr. Ketchum has never been late before."

"Well, if he's not there, and he's not here..."

There was a moment of silence. "You didn't find a note or something explaining where he went?"

"No, of course not!"

The woman paused. "I'll call Officer Jenny."

"Of Viridian, remember!"

"Yes. I'll be over on my Pidgeotto in a few minutes. You're staying at the Pokémon Center?"

"Yes. I'll see you, then..."

"Goodbye."

The phone clicked off.

"Hey Misty!" called Brock. "I think I found something!"

She ran over to where Brock was inspecting Ash's room. "What is it?"

He pointed. "There are scuff marks on the window!" He yawned.

"Really?!" said Misty. "That means someone was standing on it!!"

Brock yawned again. "Yep...You don't know how long it took for me to notice that..." He yawned once more.

"So what does this mean, Brock?" Misty waited for an answer. "Brock?" She turned to face him...And found he had collapsed onto the floor. 

Nurse Joy walked by with an empty mug in her hands. "Oh hi, Misty, did you have a nice rest---" she stopped dead in her tracks. "BROCK!!"

"Chan-sey, chan-sey--chan?" Chansey came along. "Chan? Chansey chan-sey!!"

"What?!" asked Joy. "What kind of gas?!"

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Brock slowly opened his eyes. "Whoa...What happened?"

"That's what we're trying to find out," remarked the lady from Indigo Plateau. 

"Miss Grant here just arrived here a few minutes ago...right after Officer Jenny and her squad," Joy informed Brock. "We figured we'd wait until everyone was here to try and sort all this out." 

"Okay." Misty stood, professional-looking, by a blackboard. "Item One: Ash is missing."

"He was supposed to be at Indigo Plateau, hearing plans to build an addition to the stadium," added Ms. Grant.

"Item Two," said Brock, "There were scuff marks on the window."

"Meaning someone had stood on it," said Officer Jenny.

Joy sighed. "Item Three: There was sleeping gas in the room Ash was sleeping in."

"WHAAAAA?!" gasped everyone.

"Chansey sniffed it out." Joy put an arm around Chansey.

Chansey beamed. "Chansey chan!!"

Joy continued. "It was very diffused, which is why only Brock was affected. He had been breathing small amounts of it for a long enough time that there was enough in his bloodstream to knock him out."

Officer Jenny had a serious look on her face. "This does not look good..."

She sighed and turned around, facing her squadron of men with Growlithes. "Okay. We are looking for a man named Ash Ketchum, medium-length black hair, brown eyes, Pokemon League hat. Base your search on the assumption that he is being held against his will. I repeat, assume he has been kidnapped." 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Ash began to wake up. He was vaguely aware of voices, and strained to listen.

"...experiment was successful?"

"Yes, for the first time. New Island really paid off..."

"Dratini DNA, I presume?"

"And Mew. Our analysis indicates that it will become visible after the second evolution."

"Hmm, I will have to give those fools a raise."

"Yes, sir..."

"When it wakes up, get it into a Pokéball. I will train this one personally."

"Yes, sir!" 

One of the people left. The other sat down next to him.

"Oh, I don't envy you when you wake up, no way. I don't envy any of the boss's Pokémon. Well, you're a strong one. You may just make it." The man laughed.

Ash was slowly coming back to reality. _The boss and...that scientist. What were they talking about?_

He opened his eyes. He was in what looked almost like a hospital room. 

__

How strange...

With a shock he realized something. "WHAT?!" he tried to yell, but it came out differently. It came out "Dra?!"...

Ash came to a horrifying conclusion. _Oh my god, I'm a Dratini..._

He felt light all of a sudden. He had just enough time to see the Hawaiian-shirt scientist before everything went dark again...


	4. Sandstone

~If I Could Change the World~

AN: Yeesh! *ahem* Thank you for all the good reviews. ^_^ Um, and also, please don't mail me telling me to hurry up or anything-- No offense, person who did. It's not like I was offended or anything, in fact I found it flattering... *smacks rapidly growing ego with mallet* Sorry about that. ^_^ 

Actually, I'm updating this pretty quickly for me. You should see how I've put the poor, defenseless Calvin and Hobbes fans on hold... ^_^;; 

Oh yes, ages: Um, I don't want to completely define the passage of time and ages, but I'll tell you that everyone is old enough to drive, and Brock could drink if he wanted to. That's as much as I'm telling you. ^^;

So, on with the fic!! Please R&R, and thanks for holding out through the fantasy!! I only hope you keep holding out through the stuff I have planned!! 

Chapter Three: Sandstone 

"Mime mime!!" yelled Mr. Mime cheerfully... Right into Mrs. Ketchum's ear. 

"YIPE!! Mimey, would you please for the love of Articuno STOP THAT!!!" Mrs. Ketchum said, a bit frazzled. Mr. Mime continued sweeping, unfazed.

Delia sighed and turned on the morning news.

"--search has been instituted throughout Viridian City. In other news, rumors have continued about Team Rocket's ultimate goal. Unabated by the publication of To Protect the World From Devastation, a book allegedly written by a former Rocket member, stories have continued to circulate." 

The screen changed to a fat lady sobbing into the microphone. "They killed my baby!! My husband, my daughter, they didn't care at all. Said we were in the way. Well, I don't CARE what they say, those [bleep] are evil and they want to destroy the world!!!"

"Here in the studio today is Dr. Rick Hayes, who has dedicated most of his career to finding the truth about Team Rocket."

Mrs. Ketchum watched while putting her hair into a ponytail. 

"Doctor Hayes, I think what people want to know is, is Team Rocket a threat?" asked the reporter.

"Well, a threat to what?" Hayes evaded.

"To their families, political structure, finance--you name it."

"Well... No. Team Rocket started out as a band of elusive Robin Hoods, stealing items from the rich and selling them back at a profit -- which they DID use to help the poor," Hayes said. "They also became Pokemon activists, stealing abused Pokemon, healing them, and putting them up for adoption. In fact, the rumor is that its founder also founded the Abandoned Pokemon House near Lavender City."

"So, Team Rocket is not a threat?" asked the reporter.

"No...At least, they weren't before." Hayes furrowed his eyebrows.

"What do you mean?"

"Well...I've found a shocking amount of stories, both from former Rocket members and alleged victims that have Team Rocket as evil. The ex-Rockets tell me that the management changed when the old Boss passed away. They say that the new Boss wanted profit, Pokemon--maybe even the world. Many people left."

"So, what conclusion do you draw from this?" asked the reporter.

"Team Rocket was not always evil. But I'm finding a startling amount of evidence that it is now. Many of the former Rocket members I've talked with talked from wheelchairs and hospital beds. The lucky ones are able to live a normal life, usually with their former partners. The unlucky ones...don't have any partners to go to anymore."

Delia shuddered and turned off the TV. "Y'know, I shouldn't watch this in the morning. It always gets me worried about Ash..."

The phone rang.

Mr. Mime picked it up and handed it to Delia. "Oh hi, Misty!" she said as she sat down it front of the video. 

"Um, Mrs. Ketchum, I'm sure you saw the news and it ISN'T as bad as it sounds!!" Misty said, panicking.

"Well, the Team Rocket part WAS a bit disturbing, but I think we're pretty safe here in Pallet," Delia said cheerfully.

"Um..." said Misty. "Oh no, she didn't see it," she whispered to someone off-screen.

Delia's smile disappeared. "I didn't see WHAT?"

"Um... Nice weather we've been having, isn't it..." Misty hedged.

Mrs. Ketchum's blood ran cold. Something was seriously wrong. "What is it? Is it Ash?"

Misty sighed. "Yes..."

"What happened to him?! Was he shot?! Killed?! Got cancer?! Kidnapped???!!!!" she screamed frantically.

"Um, the last one."

"WHAT??!!" She was startled. You never really thought the calamities you reeled off were going to actually happen. "Which one was that???!!!"

Misty took a deep breath, deciding to get it over with. "Ash was kidnapped. We have Jennies form all over the place looking for him. We'll find him soon!! Please--"

Delia hung up. She stared at the floor. 

~Ash...~

She snapped her head up. "Mimey, Teleport us to Viridian City."

"Mime?"

"Sure, the Pokemart if you have to, we just have to get to Viridian City RIGHT NOW!!"

Mimey put down his broom and started to concentrate. Delia bit her lip as a blue glow surrounded them, getting righter and brighter and finally absorbing all...

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Ash was in shock.

~I'm a...Dratini...~

He was still, floating in the blackness of the Pokeball.

All of a sudden, his survival instinct kicked in.

~Okay, so you're a Dratini, Ketchum. I suggest you get over it. NOW.~

~..I'm a Dratini...I'm... All right, I think I've got it...~

~Now put together the facts. 1): You're a Pokemon. 2): You're in the hands of Team Rocket.~

~Jessie and James? Maybe it isn't such a hard situation as I thought it was...~

~One problem, Ash; You AREN'T in the hands of Jessie and James, you're in the hands of Team Rocket. Remember the stories?~

~Come on, there's no way those could be true!......Could they?~

~You bet they could, Ketchum. So I suggest you regroup right now. You're gonna have to look hard for escape opportunities.~

~...What if there aren't any?~

~I don't know everything! WE don't know everything!!~

~I know...~

He looked around.

~So this is what a Pokeball looks like...~

~No wonder Pikachu hates them.~

It was completely dark. Inky and milky black spiraled around, creating a nightmare world. 

Suddenly, he heard a voice. 

"Well, well, my new pet, let's see how quickly you learn. Dratini! Go!"

Ash felt himself being sucked out of the Pokeball...and into a training area. Machamp were lifting weights in the corner; Golem battled Dugtrio in a ring at the center of the vast cavern.

"You're in luck, my little pet..." the boss drawled. "I have a Diglett I'm tryng to evolve that will be a perfect first match for you...Otherwise, I'd have had to start you on my Persian..." The Pokemon by his side purred.

You _are_ lucky, said a good-natured voice.

Ash looked around for the source and saw a Diglett tunneling towards him. 

That Persian of his is a killer. Literally. He sharpens those darned claws of his every day, just waiting till he has to dish out punishment...

Who are you? Ash found that it came out in variations of the word Dratini, but he could understand it.

HE calls me Diglett--or pathetic little runt when he's in a bad mood. Which is ninety-nine percent of the time. You, however, can call me Sandstone.

I'm Ash, nice to meet you.

"Diglett, Dig attack!!" said the Boss.

Sorry about this... Diglett tunneled into the ground.

Ash looked around, confused. Wha? Wha? 

Suddenly, he was knocked into the air. HEY! That hurt!

Gee, really? I didn't think it would. Sandstone had a bitter note of sarcasm in its voice.

Hey, stop with the sarcasm! Please, Sandstone!

"Dratini! Wrap!" ordered Giovanni.

Huh? Ash said.

You, you moron! I'd suggest you hop to it or he'll change his mind about not using Persian! Sandstone hissed.

How do I do Wrap? Ash was utterly out of his depth. 

WRAP ME!! God, how young ARE you?!

"I SAID WRAP!!" roared Giovanni.

Fake it! Sandstone yelled. 

Um... Ash tried to move towards Sandstone...and ended up tumbling head-over-heels through the room, hitting a Machoke as he went, causing it to drop the dumbbell it was holding on its head.

Gack. That went well. 

Ash, how in heaven's name have you not learned to do Wrap yet?! Sandstone yelled.

It's not like I've had time to practice! Ash yelled, attempting to get up.

"Oh lord." Giovanni put his head in his hand.

Meanwhile, Ash was putting up quite a show, trying to figure out how to get from place to place. Gack! he yelled as he fell into the pool.

He twisted, trying to swim, moving his snakelike body in curves. 

Whoa, cool! I can swim! At least I can swim now!

A DRATINI who can't SWIM?! Okay, there is definitely something weird going on here, Sandstone said. 

Well, I've never been it the water before. At least, not in this body, Ash explained.

'In this body'?! Sandstone said. What in the... Oh no. Not another project!

Another project? Ash asked.

Yeah, we get these from time to time. Of course, most of them are freaks, but--

They've done this to OTHER people?! Ash yelled. Those JERKS! When I get back--If I get back--I am so gonna fire Giovanni!

Fire Giovanni?! You can DO that?!

Well, I can fire him as a Gym Leader...

Wait...That'd mean you were... Sandstone stopped. No way!

Well...

They wouldn't kidnap the Pokemon Master! It's way too high-profile!!

Well...They did.

Oh my--

"Dratini! Use your Wrap attack!" Giovanni yelled.

Um... Ash levered himself out of the pool. He shakily balanced on his tail and attempted to hop--and, of course, quickly fell down. 

Pretend you're swimming, Sandstone suggested.

Um...Okay... He wriggled, snakelike, trying to go forward. Awkwardly, face to the ground, he did.

"Good, you imbecilic Pokemon, now Wrap!" Giovanni yelled.

Oy vey... Ash said.

I'll stand still for you, Sandstone said helpfully.

Thanks a lot, Ash said, the sarcasm clear.

You're welcome.

Ash wrapped his body--as much of it as possible--around Sandstone. 

Tighter, y'moron!

Okay, okay! Ash said. He tightened. 

Suddenly, something seemed to click in his brain, like a pathway or file being stored and opened. 

~Is this what it's like to learn a move?~ he wondered.

His musing was cut short as Giovanni yelled, "Diglett, burrow under him!"

Sandstone easily slid out of Ash's wrap and disappeared under the ground.

"I grow tired of this. Diglett, finish this!" Giovanni yelled.

Sorry...

The ground exploded under Ash. He was partially caught in the explosion, but more seriously, the force threw him forcefully against the ceiling. He had already fainted when he hit the ground.

~

Ash slowly slurred into consciousness. ~Not again... Do I get frequent flyer miles for this?~

"Level WHAT?" Giovanni said.

"It may not seem like it, sir, but he is. Our data indicates that the order and level at which he learns his attacks is completely unpredictable. The next time you battle him, he may learn three moves. He may learn Tackle ten levels after he learns Dragon Rage."

"Well, then, I'll just have to train him." Ash saw that they were still in the training room. "Let's try this again..."

As Ash reluctantly slid in front of Giovanni, he could've sworn he saw tears in Sandstone's eyes.

"Diglett, Dig attack!"...

~


	5. Madness and Memories

****

If I Could Change the World

Chapter Four: Madness and Memories

Nurse Joy leaned back in her chair, cup of coffee in her hands, and sighed. 

"Long day?"

Officer Jenny stood behind her with another cup of coffee, grinning lopsidedly. 

"You don't know the half of it!" Joy said, returning the half-smile.

Jenny pulled up a chair. "Hey, I'M the one investigating this. I know EXACTLY how it is."

"Well, YOUR job's not being interrupted all day by a bunch of rude policemen who think that they own the whole Pokémon Center!" 

"Well... I guess you're right. But it'll calm down now. There are no more reports 'till the morning." Jenny leaned back a little, relaxing.

"Good, now maybe we can rest!!"

The two women leaned back, enjoying the first quiet they'd had since that morning.

*CRASH*

Joy and Jenny leaped up. 

"WHAT THE HECK IS GOING ON HERE AND WHERE, WHERE, _WHERE_ IS MY SON???!?!?!?!" a furious Mrs. Ketchum screamed, skidding into the Pokémon Center, a slightly disturbed Mimey at her back. Her trenchcoat billowed out behind her; with her clenched fist raised, she made an imposing figure. 

"Chansey chan chan?" Where'd she get the trenchcoat?

"Mime, Mister mime!" _I_ don't know!!

"Oh no." Jenny was slightly nervous. _Why the heck didn't we tell Mrs. Ketchum before?!_

"DID YOU HEAR ME?!?!!! I WANT TO KNOW WHERE MY SON IS, AND I WANT TO KNOW _NOW_!!!!!!!!!" Mrs. Ketchum screeched.

Back in the recovery ward, Pikachu stretched and yawned, finally over his cold. "Pikapi?" 

Misty and Brock stood over him. "Hi, Pikachu!"

Pikachu frowned. "Ka? Kachu pikapi?" Huh? Where's Ash?

"Huh? Um, Togetic, go!" Misty said.

"Toki!" Hi, Pika!

"Pikachu." I TOLD you, never call me Pika you winged egg!

"Toki, toki toki!!" Misty-mommy, he called me a winged egg!!

"Pi, pikachu?" That's what you ARE, isn't it?

"Toki!" Oh yeah!

Pikachu sighed. "Pika pikachu... Pi ka Pikapi?!" You are SO young... So where's Ash?!

"Toki, toki tick!" He wants to know where Ash-hunk is!!

"PIKA?!" Pikachu burst out laughing. "Pikapi kachu?! Ka pi PI ka chu!!" Ash-hunk?! She IS rubbing off on you!!"

"Toki toki..." That's what Misty-mommy calls him...

Pikachu fell on the floor laughing. 

"Togetic!!" Misty yelled, picking it up. "I do NOT call him that!!"

"Toki tick..." You USED to...

"Ka?" Pikachu stopped laughing.

"Okay, completely lost..." Brock said.

"Nothing!!" Misty said quickly. 

"Kachu, pika pikachu!" Brock, you know you can understand every word we say!

"I'm STILL lost."

"Pi ka chu... PI PIKAPI?!" Back to the point... WHERE'S ASH?!

"Toki, to-ki tick!" He wants to know where Ash-hunk is!

"He wants to know where ASH--" she emphasized the name because of Togetic's suffix-- "is?"

"Toki?" Didn't I just say that?

"PIKA PIKA CHU!!!" JUST TELL ME!!!

"Toki tick!" Togetic said helpfully. Just tell him!

"KAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!" GAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHH!!!

"TOKIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII, toki!"

GAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHH, he says!

"Okay, okay!! Ash... um.... was...... Would YOU take this one, Brock?" Misty sweatdropped.

"Pika, pi ka chu cha, pika?" What, he wasn't kidnapped by Team Rocket, was he? Pikachu laughed.

Brock froze and sweatdropped.

"Toki, toki tick tick tick, toki!" "What, he wasn't kidnapped by Team Rocket, was he"! Togetic laughed. "Toki tick!" What a riot!

Misty froze.

"Toki, tick?" He wasn't, right? 

"PIKA?? Pi KA, pikachu?!!!?!?!" WHAT?? He WAS, wasn't he?!!!?!?!

"TOKIIII?!?!?!?!" WHAT?!?!?!?!

"Um..." Misty sweatdropped. "Actually.... he was."

"PIIIIIIIIIII!!" Pikachu dropped into a dead faint. 

".........." Brock said. "...Can we wake him up?..."

"Togetic, would you be a dear?" Misty said.

"Toki?" A deer?

"Please just wake him up!!!!!"

"Toki." Oh, okay.

Pikachu woke up and immediately ran out of the room, screaming like a maniac. "PIKAPI!!!" ASH!!!

"WHERE IS MY SON YOU--"

"PIKAPI!!!"

"Um--!" Jenny looked around wildly. "You take the Pokémon, I'll take the psycho!!"

"WHY YOU--"

"Gack!" 

~*~*~*~*~*~

"Dratini, return!"

Ash felt himself being sucked back into the Pokéball. 

__

Great... Ash sighed, as much as a Dratini could sigh while it was in a Pokéball. 

__

Well, look at the bright side, he told himself.

What_ bright side?_

Um... It could almost be pretty in here if there were stars!

Oh, get real, Ash-- He cut himself off as he saw suddenly that there _were_ stars.

__

What in the...

Maybe whatever you imagine in this place is what you end up seeing.

He pondered that for a minute. _Hey, it's worth a shot!_

Ash had always had a good imagination, so it wasn't too hard to put it to use now. And as he did, grass appeared below him, and ground below that. A forest appeared a few yards behind him, its trees almost comforting to one who'd so often been among them at night. A serene lake he'd once camped alongside of appeared in front, and Ash once again looked human, dressed in his normal clothes, with a blanket on his lap.

He opened his eyes and blinked. _Whoa. Cool._

Hey, this looks like that place in Johto where we camped--

Pikachu...Brock...Misty......

He looked up at his starry sky, remembering...

~

**__**

"Wow, guys!" Misty said. "Look at this!"

Ash, Brock, and Pikachu walked in the direction that Misty had been scouting for a place to camp.

"Wow..." they said in unison.

Just beyond the forest, Misty had found a vast lake, glowing gold in the light of the setting sun.

"I think we should camp here!"

"Yep, this looks pretty good!" Ash said.

"Pretty good?" Misty mocked. "Ash, this is one of the prettiest places I've ever seen! And traveling with you, I've seen a lot of places!"

Ash put his hand behind his head. "Well, we DO travel a lot..."

"And it's so romantic!" Misty clasped her hands, eyes glittering.

Brock studied the map. "Hey... This must be Lake Serena! YAY!! We aren't lost anymore!!"

"Whoohoo!" everyone cheered. 

"Okay Ash, you go get the firewood while Misty and I set up the campsite," Brock directed.

"Man, why do _I_ always have to get the firewood?!" Ash complained.

"Ash, I got the firewood last night," Brock said.

"No you didn't! You promised you would in the morning, then you got that cough right when we set up camp, so I got it, and after that you felt better so you promised me you'd get it tomorrow!" Ash protested.

Brock sweatdropped. "Er..."

"Aw, it doesn't matter anyway. I'll get the stupid firewood." Ash walked off.

"That was kind of mean, Brock," Misty said, annoyed. Ash listened, picking up firewood while keeping within hearing range of camp.

"Well, yeah..."

"I think you should apologize. Right when he gets back." Misty's voice was firm, with a hint of danger.

"Yeah, I will."

"And you should get the firewood next time." Misty still sounded dangerous.

"But--"

"No buts!" she yelled. "You have been duping Ash for a long, long time, and you are going to apologize!! TONIGHT!!"

"But it was just--"

"I am not just going to just stand by and watch you cheat Ash!! I don't CARE if it's just firewood, I don't care if he even minds, you are going to apologize, Brock!!"

"Well--"

" 'Well' NOTHING!!" she screamed. "Just DO it!!!"

"Okay, okay!!"

"And you had better not do it again, mister, because..." she trailed off. "Because I'm very sensitive about fooling people." She sniffed. "So DON'T DO IT AGAIN!!!"

"I won't, I swear!!!" Brock said quickly.

"Good."

"Whoa," Ash whispered to Pikachu.

"Pika..." he agreed.

He waited a few minutes before returning to camp.

"Hi!" he said cheerily.

"Ash, I'm sorry." Brock sounded penitent. "I've been making a fool of you for a long time and I'm so ashamed!!" He fell down at Ash's feet. "Please forgive me!!" he said, sobbing. 

Ash resisted the urge to giggle. "Um... Okay Brock, I forgive you."

"THANK YOU!!" Brock yelled, still sobbing. He wrapped his arms around Ash's neck.

"Um, okay, man! Um... Would you please get off me, Brock? You're scaring me."

"Oh, okay." Brock quickly let go and started to cook.

Over on the other side of the campfire, Misty started to giggle. Ash found he couldn't hold it in any longer and started laughing with her. Soon, the whole group was laughing....

It was later that night. 

Ash was wakened by a muffled sob. Sitting up awkwardly in his sleeping bag, he saw, by the moonlight, a huddled figure sitting by the lake. It was Misty, in her sleeping bag.

Ash scuttled over. "Misty? What's wrong?"

She jerked her head up and blinked. "Huh? Nothing's wrong, why do you ask?"

"Ha ha. Nice try." He looked into her eyes. "Now seriously, what is it?"

"Well... fine, if you want to know, I guess I'll tell you," she said haughtily. If you must know... I was thinking about my parents." She looked up at the moon. "Dad told my mom that their whole marriage had been a mistake." She laughed bitterly. "After triplets and another daughter!

"So, he left one night and never came back. Mom tried to live without him, but--" Her voice cracked. 

Ash's eyes widened. "She didn't--"

Misty laughed hollowly. "Kill herself? No. Not quite. She just tried." She looked into Ash's wide eyes. "So, she went to the asylum, and we managed the gym," she said matter-of-factly.

"Whoa..." Ash said softly.

"So." Misty said abruptly. "I haven't seen your dad anywhere. And tonight seems like "National Tell-All-Your-Secrets night, so..."

"Well, fine," Ash said, "I guess after you told me about your parents you deserve to hear my story. Actually, it starts a little like yours."

"He left?"

"Yeah, but there's more to it. You see, I'm not an only child."

Misty gasped. 

"It was a shock to me, too. Mom only told me last time we were at Pallet." Ash sighed. "Apparently, I had--have--a sister named Serena. She was--is--about three years older than me. One night, Dad left and took her with him. And seven months later, there I was." 

"Oh my gosh..." Misty breathed.

"And a few months later, my grandfather called and said that Dad had left a kid with him. So Mom rushed over there. But it wasn't Serena. It was another kid. My grandfather was so removed from our family that he didn't even know that Serena was three years old, or a girl. This was a baby boy, about my age."

"Oh my gosh, Gary?!" Misty said in shock.

"Huh? Oh my gosh, it MUST be!! Mom told me we never moved again, and--it all makes perfect sense now!!" Ash said, awed in this sudden revelation.

"You hadn't realized it before?" Misty said skeptically.

"Hey, you yourself said that I'm pretty thick..."

"Ash..."

They both broke down crying in each other's arms. 

"Ash..." Misty said a few minutes later. "I don't think you're thick. I don't hate you, either."

"Well, that's nice," Ash said, smiling weakly, "Because I don't hate you either."

It was one of those moments of romantic possibility that only come along so often. Their faces slowly came closer together, and closer... 

And then they fell asleep.

"HA HA HA AH HA HA HA HA HA HA HA!!!"

"PI HE HEE HE HEE HE HEE HE!!!" 

Brock and Pikachu collapsed with laughter. 

Ash slowly opened his eyes...and saw Misty's slowly opening eyes.

"GAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHH!!"

"EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!"

Still in sleeping bags, they yanked their arms from around each other and leapt apart.

"I swear it wasn't what it looked like!!" Ash said, blushing furiously.

"Yeah! What he said!" Misty said, even redder.

It only made Brock and Pikachu laugh harder.

Ash and Misty looked at each other, getting more annoyed by the minute.

*WHAM*

Misty and Ash had leapt out of their sleeping bags and attacked the laughing pair, with mallet and club respectively.

"Ow! Ow! STOP THAT!!"

"You never mention any of this again, is that clear?" Misty yelled, emphasizing her remark with a swing of her mallet.

"Yeah!" said Ash, following suit. 

"Ow!! All right already!"

"Pika!" Fine!!

"Good," Misty said, and put her mallet away like nothing had happened.

"Brock?" said Ash. "I seem to remember a promise about a certain someone gathering firewood for once..."

"Oh yeah," Brock said, laughing nervously. He and Pikachu went out to do just that.

Ash and Misty looked at each other, grinning, eyes sparkling.

"AAH!! I'VE BEEN BITTEN BY A RATTATA!!!" Brock screamed.

"Pika pikachu pika!" For crying out loud, it's only a branch!

"Oh, it was only a branch. Never mind!" Brock called.

Ash and Misty looked at each other and dissolved into helpless laughter.

~

Ash sighed. _Misty..._

Misty, I swear I will escape and find you again. I will escape...

But what if she doesn't like what comes back to her?...

Ash shivered. 

__

Dangit, Ash, don't worry. Worry about that when you're not stuck in a Pokéball. Just enjoy this! 

Who knows when you'll get the chance to enjoy something again?...

Oh, shut up.

Ash fell asleep...

~*~*~*~*~*~*~


	6. Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them ...

**__**

~If I Could Change the World~

Chapter Five: Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them

[Note: No copyright infringement intended. ^^;]

It was ten o'clock in the Pokémon Center. Two nervous-looking women were standing in front of a trenchcoat-adorned mother and an extremely powerful Pikachu.

"So, that's all we know," Officer Jenny finished. 

"Yeah, that's all we know," Joy said nervously.

"Pika..."

Mrs. Ketchum was silent for a moment. "How...could...this... HAPPEN?!?!" she screamed. She looked at Joy accusingly.

"Pi, piKA!!" Pikachu yelled. Yeah, how COULD it!!

"I, don't, KNOW!!!" Nurse Joy snapped. "Do you think this has ever happened before?! WELL, IT HASN'T!!!" She seemed to loom overhead as thunder clapped from dark clouds that had materialized out of nowhere. "Do you think I could have done something to PREVENT this?! Well, I am NOT psychic!!" She paused for a moment. "Well, my fourth cousin twice-removed in Saffron City is, but only when she tries really hard..." 

Jenny, Pikachu, and Delia sweatdropped.

"But WHAT WAS I SUPPOSED TO DO?!" she yelled, as her eyes clouded over. "The Pokémon Center is a peaceful place!!! And the truth is, no one has ever even THOUGHT about kidnapping someone from one!!! Even if they HAD, who would've thought they'd kidnap ASH KETCHUM?! The whole--bloody--COUNTRY is probably searching for him!!! Why--would--they--DO this?!?!" Nurse Joy broke down. 

"It is NOT Joy's fault," Jenny said firmly. "She's right. No one would even THINK of kidnapping Mr. Ketchum... But someone has."

Mrs. Ketchum sank to a chair. "It was Giovanni, I know it."

"Whaaaaa?" Jenny was shocked. "_Giovanni_? The Viridian City Gym leader Giovanni? What--WHY?"

"Don't you know?" she asked. "He swore he'd tell you..."

"...Tell me _what_?" Jenny asked.

"Ash was looking through the Gym budgets for the year," Delia said. "All of the Masters were SUPPOSED to do it, but usually they just gave it to their secretaries. And apparently, the Viridian City Gym budget was quite high. So he looked it over. They had things in there you wouldn't believe. A Pokeball for a thousand dollars, Rare Candies for ten thousand..."

"Pi pika pikachu!!" Pikachu added. 

"Chan, chansey chan!" Chansey translated for Joy.

"Hundred-dollar HAIR DYE?!" Joy exclaimed in disbelief.

"Pi, pika pika chu..." Yeah, and they went through a LOT... "Pika pikachu." You'd think they'd just use the permanent stuff.

Chansey translated.

"Yeah, the permanent dye would've been a much better idea," Joy said.

"Pi pikachu pika ka chu pika pika ka CHU..." And they had a bill for rebuilding the Gym you wouldn't BELIEVE...

"So Ash rejected their budget," Mrs. Ketchum said. "And then--"

"Pi cha ka chu pika Pikapi kachu ka pi!!" Pikachu interrupted, eyes blazing. And then some jerk threw a rock through Ash's window!!

"Chan-SEY?" They DID? 

"Pika pikachu!" You better believe it!

"They did what, Chansey?" Joy asked. 

"He probably said that someone threw a rock through Ash's window," Delia said. 

"Sey!" Yes!

"WHAT?!" Jenny yelled.

"Pi ka chu, pi!"

"Chansey chan!" Almost hit him, too! Chansey translated.

"!"

"There was a note tied around the rock," Mrs. Ketchum said. "Basically it said that Ash would pay for cutting the Gym budget. Giovanni denied being involved, of course." She snorted. "Ash swore he'd tell you!"

"Well, why didn't he?!" Jenny yelled. "Maybe we could've stopped this!!"

"Pi ka pikachu pika chu pika..." He said if he did they'd know he was scared... 

Chansey relayed the statement. 

"Pi ka chu pika chu pika!!" But I thought I talked him into it!! 

"Well, we'll definitely have to question Giovanni," Jenny said. Then she sighed. "But he must have known he had motive! Even if he knew Ash didn't tell us, he should've known it would come out!" She sighed again. "I doubt he did it, and even if he did, we'll have a hard time proving it. Giovanni is very respected in this town..."

"I'll go," a voice said. 

Shocked, everyone turned around to see Misty leaning against the doorway. 

"I mean, think about it!" she continued. "If Giovanni DID do it, he'll never talk to the police. But he may trust a fellow Gym leader." She grinned. "Then again, he probably won't, but it's worth a shot."

"Pikachu!" I'll come with you!

"I don't know, Pikachu. You're pretty recognizable," Misty said after Togetic translated.

"Pika pi!" So are you! Pikachu exclaimed indignantly. 

"Toki, tick toki toki!" Don't worry, _I_ can handle it! He winked at Pikachu. 

"Pi pi." Ha ha.

"Look, Pikachu, we can't risk it!" Misty said.

Pikachu narrowed his eyes. "Pi pika kachu pika pikachu ka Pikapi. Pika, kachu pikachu?! KA! Pi--ka--CHU." 

That Rattata dung kidnapped Ash. Now, you want me to just stay behind?! HA! I--am--GOING. 

Sparks flew out of his cheeks. "Pika, chu." Translate, egg.

"Tokiii!!! Tokiiii!!!" He called me an egg!!! Waaaaahhhh!!

"PI!!--KA!!--"

"NO, PIKACHU!!" Misty yelled. 

"Kaaaa..." Darn...

"Tokiiiii!!!" Togetic cried. 

"PIKACHU, PIKA!!" GET OVER IT, MORON!!!

"Tokiiii--"

"**_PIKA!!_**" **_SHUT UP!!!_****__**

"Ki?"

"!!!!"

"Toki!" Okay! Togetic said brightly.

"Pi, pika pi ka chaaaaa..." Boy, I can't wait till that egg grows up...

"Toki tick tick!!" He says he's going!

"PI-- pi, ka pika!" WHAT--Aw, forget it! Pikachu sighed in disgust.

"You'd have to go in a Pokéball..." Misty warned.

"Pi." Fine.

"CHAN?!" WHAT?! Chansey was stunned.

"Pi pikachu pika, chaaaaa!" If that's what I have to do, fine!

"Chan..." Wow...

"Toki!!" He will!! Togetic was too young to be stunned.

"Well..." Misty had only said that to try to get Pikachu to stay. But now...

"No, you don't have to get in a Pokéball..." Misty said. "But LAY LOW!"

"Pika!" Yes ma'am!! Pikachu chirped happily. 

"So, tomorrow, then," Misty said.

"All right miss, but I must warn you, there will be no police support..." Jenny warned.

Misty looked at her oddly. "Of course not...What made you think I thought there would be?"

"Ehhh..." 

Joy jumped up, spilling her coffee. "Oh my gosh, it's ten o'clock! You get to bed right now, young lady!!"

"Eep! Okay!" Misty recalled Togetic and ran off.

"AND YOU TOO!"

"Pika..." Okay... Pikachu jumped on one of the chairs in the waiting room and dozed off.

"Phew! Finally!" Joy said. 

Jenny laughed. "You got rid of THEM well!"

"Yeah! Now, finally, we can have some fun!"

"Yeah, we need it!" Jenny grinned.

"Chansey!" Joy said. "Get the beanbags and the Kool-Aid packets, we're pulling an all-nighter!!"

"Whoo-hoo!" Jenny and Joy slapped hands.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Waaaaaaaa! 

Ash was dumped onto the floor.

Hmmm, what do I hate more--Pokéballs, Team Rocket, Giovanni, or my life?...

If you're smart, probably Giovanni, a voice said.

Oh, hi, Sandstone.

The Diglett tunneled to him. You okay? Pokéballs are generally not fun.

Amen to that! Ash said.

Um, what you should probably do is to come out of the Pokéball in a way that does NOT involve you staring face-down at the dirt...

Um... You know, now that you say it, that might ACTUALLY be a good idea! Ash said sarcastically.

Ha ha--

A deafening bell clang echoed through the room, practically knocking Ash to the ground. 

What in the--!

A challenger!! Sandstone yelled over the noise.

~Wow, maybe the doorbell price was right after all...~ Ash said to himself. To Sandstone he yelled, What, is Giovanni DEAF or something?!

If he's not, he probably WILL be at this rate!! he replied. Actually, we have a bet on when the first person in this building is gonna go deaf... I have twenty bucks on next July...

Footsteps echoed down the corridor.

Of course, I don't actually HAVE twenty bucks, but then again, no one else does, either...

Ooookkkaaayyy...

Giovanni threw open the door. "All right!" he thundered. "Machoke, Dugtrio, return!" 

The two Pokémon vanished in a flash of red light. 

"And Dratini..."

Ash froze.

"Let's see what you can do..." Giovanni smiled menacingly. Persian purred in agreement.

Bye! Sandstone said.

Wait, what in the-- Ash was sucked into his Pokéball.

~...heck is going on?~ he finished pointlessly. 

~*~

"What is TAKING him so long?!" Misty yelled in frustration.

"Pika pika!!"

Misty rang the doorbell again, listening to the seemingly ordinary chimes. "It MUST be working if I can hear it from here..."

The huge doors slowly swung open.

"Pika chu," Pikachu said in disgust.

"Yeah, it IS too melodramatic, isn't it..." Misty said distractedly as they walked through the dark corridor.

They came to the stadium, which was shadowy and vaguely intimidating. Misty looked around. "Well, of all the--"

She was cut off by the noise of two large lights clicking on.

"Yes?" a deep voice said. "I suppose you want a Pokémon battle?"

"Well, yeah, sort of," Misty said, looking around. ~He has GOT to be here SOMEwhere...~

Giovanni stepped into the light, Persian at his side. "Oh yes, you're one of those Cerulean brats, aren't you?" he observed lazily. "Well, I suppose this will do as a training exercise..."

Misty bristled. "If we're going to battle, let's get to it!! You've wasted enough of my time already!!"

"Cocky, aren't you?..."

"Aah!" Misty struggled to keep her balance as the ground she was standing on began to rise. She grabbed onto the rail that emerged and cursed herself for not being on-guard. 

Misty stood on one end of the arena. Giovanni sat on the chair on the other side. 

"This match is between the challenger, Misty, and Gym Leader Giovanni!" a nameless junior trainer announced. "This is a three-on-three match, no time limit! Begin!"

"Starmie, I choose you!" Misty yelled, hoping Psyduck wouldn't manage to somehow teleport from the Pokémon Center and appear instead.

"Machoke, go!" Giovanni yelled.

~*~

Okay, let's try this again... Ash raised a fist. Rock, paper, scissors! He kept the fist. Rock, paper, scissors! He tried scissors. Rock, paper, scissors! 

He looked at his flat hand, and then at the place where Pikachu's paw would usually be.

Er... Okay, forget THAT... He sighed. This is soooo boring... I bet I won't even be called out...

~*~

~Hmmmm... Where have I seen this girl before?...

Giovanni shrugged. It wasn't important. "Machoke, Seismic Toss!" he called, and started the battle...

~*~*~


	7. Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them ...

~If I Could Change the World~

Chapter Six: Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them--Part Two

[Note: Still no copyright infringement intended. ^^;]

[Note Two: In case you don't remember, last chapter ended with Ash innocently in his Pokéball while Misty was starting to battle Giovanni. And--If I'm as good as some SAY I am--you preparing to kill me for the cliffhanger. ^^; If it IS a cliffhanger. It's not really much of one... But I digress... By the way, if I TRIED to do a cliffhanger, I could. ^^; Trust me. Someday you'll find out first-hand, if this goes even close to the way I plan.]

[Note Three: This will not make sense until the end, but I'd like to say it now anyway: Hey, the plans have been available to look at for months! And no, not locked in a wet closet in my branch at the bottom of the Amazon river, unless of course you consider Angelfire.com the Amazon River. So feel free to be shocked, but don't complain or anything... 'Cos this plot twist has been on my web site, and maybe even in the summary, _forever_ . Er, just come back to this at the end of the chapter. ^^; Thank you.]

[Note Four: About the MIDIs mentioned later...If you want, I'll send them to you. Just don't put them on your site or anything. I don't own them. ^^;]

~*~

"Well..." Misty sighed. "I really hate to do this, but Togetic, go!"

The slightly ditzy egg Pokémon materialized. 

Giovanni's Machoke had managed to dispatch Starmie in only a few hits. However, Starmie had gotten in enough damage that Misty knew Togetic could probably take it out with a hit or two. 

Immature as it was, Togetic, with its powerful Psychic attacks, was probably Misty's strongest Pokémon. This annoyed Pikachu a lot, because Pikachu had probably lost half of its life trying to stop Togepi from killing itself. And now that he knew the thing would probably save itself once it realized it was falling, Pikachu slightly resented it for being so careless. And for not showing that it had ANY power at all. In fact, Misty had only realized that Togepi was not as defenseless as it seemed when it evolved. Then they realized it must have power to spare.

"Machoke, tackle!" Giovanni roared.

"Quick Togetic, dodge it!!" Misty yelled. 

"Toki toki..." Togetic said in a sing-song voice, dodging Machoke and swaying through the air happily.

"Now Togetic, Metronome!" Misty called. 

Togetic smiled serenely. "To-ki-to-ki-to-ki-to-ki-to-ki..." It waved its arms, imitating the timing mechanism for which the move was named.

Hypnotizing waves appeared from nowhere and started to affect Machoke. Suddenly, it started dancing like a ballerina, throwing itself into a wall whenever it came near one. 

Giovanni growled. "Machoke, return!" 

Still ballerinalike, the Pokémon vanished in a flash of red light. 

Giovanni took his next Pokéball out. "Go, Dugtrio!"

Misty grinned. ~Another ground Pokémon! Togetic should have no problem!~

"Dugtrio, go underground!" Giovanni ordered.

Togetic hovered a few feet above the surface, puzzled. It flew down a little lower.

"NOW! TACKLE!" Giovanni yelled.

"Oh, no! Togetic, Psychic!!" 

As the Dugtrio burst above the surface, Togetic hit it with a Psychic attack. 

"Yesss!" Misty yelled.

The Dugtrio was knocked unconscious by the Psychic attack, just as Misty had hoped. But its momentum still sent it flying straight into Togetic...As Giovanni had hoped.

Dugtrio and Togetic lay motionless on the ground. "Togetic! Return!" ~And I'll just bet he's saving his best for last...~ Misty bit her lip. Togetic might be her only Pokémon that had a chance over Giovanni's strongest Pokémon, and she knew it.

~But Pikachu?...~ 

She dismissed that. Even Pikachu probably wouldn't have much of a chance against a high-level Ground type. 

Giovanni was in a black mood. This twerp had just defeated two of his best Pokémon, and all he had left was his pet project. Certaintly he had managed to level it up a little, but if that child's Pikachu was even a year old, it wouldn't have a chance. 

He gritted his teeth. "Dratini, go!"

Misty's eyes widened. ~This must be my lucky day!~ "Pikachu, get out there and show that jerk who's boss!" 

Pikachu jumped down, happy to get in on the action.

Wha?... Ash blinked. ~Is that... MISTY? And PIKACHU?~

Pikachu! he yelled. 

"Pikachu, let's not waste any time! Thunderbolt!" Misty yelled, definetly happy that she had the advantage.

"PI...Ka..." 

What? Pikachu--

"CHUUUU!!!" 

Ash yelled. Pikachu! Are you out of your mind?!

No, but from the looks of things, I'd say you are, Pikachu said quizzically.

"Dratini! Tackle!" Giovanni ordered.

Dodge it! Fast! Ash yelled, just as Misty said the same thing. Ash launched himself somewhat awkwardly from the ground.

Wha?... Pikachu dodged the Tackle easily, staring at Ash. "Dodge it"? Are you INSANE?

I just don't want to see you hurt! Ash said.

"Pikachu, agility, now!" Misty yelled. 

Pikachu's image blurred as he circled around Ash at such high speeds that there appeared to be ten of him.

And why, pray tell, do you not want to see me hurt? Pikachu asked dryly.

Giovanni sighed. "Dratini, just wait until it makes a move!"

Because, Pikachu! You're my best friend! You know that! 

I just MET you, you moron! Pikachu cried. This Dratini had to be insane. "Best friend"?

No! Ash yelled in frustration. Pikachu, it's me, Ash!

Whaaa? Pikachu yelled. Oh, NOW I see what you're up to! Clever strategy! I suppose Giovanni taught it to you?!

What strategy? Ash asked, perplexed.

You saw my picture in the papers, didn't you?! Pikachu screamed. You saw that Ash was missing, and now you're using it against me! You dirty little--

"Pikachu, Thundershock!" Misty yelled.

"PI--KA--CHUUUU!!" Pikachu yelled almost happily.

Yaaaaaa! Ash screamed.

"Dratini, Wrap!" Giovanni ordered.

Ash grabbed Pikachu and squeezed him as gently as possible.

That should've knocked you out! Pikachu yelled. 

Hmmm, I guess my resistance to electricity stayed, Ash mused aloud. That's good. I had quite a lot of it stored up from all those times you accidentally shocked me...

Huh?! Pikachu said, struggling to get free.

And there was that time you shocked everyone in front of Professor Oak's lab...You really didn't like me, did you? Or was it Mom? Yeah, you didn't like being thought of as weak, so you shocked the whole crowd...

Pikachu stopped struggling. How did--

And then there was the time we blew up the Pokémon Center...The one here, wasn't it?...I used Misty's bike light--Auggh, I _still_ haven't paid her back for that bike, have I? Ash moaned. I keep forgetting!

No, you're just afraid she'll leave you, Pikachu corrected automatically. He blinked. Oh my god... _ASH_?

"Okay, Pikachu, we've had enough of this! Thunder attack!"

Pikachu looked at Ash sadly. "Ka pika....Pikapi..."

I'm sorry....Ash...

Those words echoed through Ash's mind as Pikachu gathered up an insanely huge ball of lightning around itself.

Gee, I almost feel sorry for those Spearow now... Ash joked weakly.

Pi...ka...CHUUU!

There was the biggest jolt of electricity Ash had ever felt, and then blackness...

~*~

"Ya-HOO! We WON, Pikachu!" Misty yelled happily.

"Pika..." Pikachu looked mournfully at the ground, remembering the Dratini's--or Ash's, maybe?--scream.

~How else could he have known?...~

There were several possible explanations. Maybe he just read the newspapers... Maybe he had met one of Ash's former Pokémon...But for some reason, Pikachu believed the craziest explanation of all: that this Dratini was somehow Ash Ketchum.

Giovanni was visibly fuming. "Here is your Earth Badge! Now LEAVE!"

"But--I was hoping we could--" 

"LEAVE!!"

Misty sighed. "Okay. Come on, Pikachu."

Misty let out a curse as they emerged into the sunlight. "He didn't even recognize me! All that was for nothing!!" Misty sighed. "Oh well... At least I got an Earth Badge..."

They headed back to the Pokémon Center.

~*~

"Kachupi!" Piakchu yelled as they entered the Pokémon Center. 

"Hi, guys!" Brock called. "Did you get anything?"

"No." Misty pouted. "First he made us battle him, and then he wouldn't talk to me! He didn't even recognize me!"

"Well, half of the Gym Leaders don't even recognize Giovanni. He likes his privacy," Brock said.

"Well, at least I got an Earth Badge!" Misty brightened a little. She walked over to the counter.

"Nurse Joy, could you heal my Starmie and Togetic for me?"

Nurse Joy giggled a bit. "Certainly, that's what I'm here for!" She accepted the Pokéballs and put them into the rejuvinator at her side.

"Kachupi, ka pika pikachu..." Brock, there's something I have to tell you... 

Brock frowned. "You sound worried. What is it?"

Pikachu opened his mouth. Suddenly, the door opened. They turned around to see a tall, blonde-haired man come through the door.

"Misty!" he cried. "I thought I might find you here!"

"Darien!" Misty ran towards him. "What took you so long?"

Brock and Pikachu watched, slightly stunned, as they embraced.

"Oh, I'm sorry!" she said, pulling away. "Brock, Pikachu, this is Darien. I met him at the party the other night."

Darien held out his hand. "Nice to meet you."

Brock shook it. "Same here. You're the guy that Misty was dancing with?"

"Yeah." Darien grinned. "Anyway, Misty, I know you must be really worried right now, what with your friend missing and all. So, how about I treat you to dinner as a little stress reliever?"

"Oh, Darien, of course!!" Misty gushed.

"All right!! I'll pick you up at eight, then?"

"Yes, that'd be fine!" Misty said excitedly.

"It's a date, then!" Darien said, not noticing Pikachu's ears twitch. "Bye, Misty! See you at eight!"

"Goodbye, Darien!" Misty called after him as he left. "Whoo-hoo!" she squealed. She ran around the Pokémon Center giddily, dancing with everyone she ran into. "I have a DATE!! With a GUY!! With a CUTE guy!!!"

He didn't seem so cute to me, Pikachu said grumpily. He leapt out of Brock's arms as Misty spun towards them. 

Misty spun Brock around like she was in a waltz where someone had speeded the music up. She swung a dizzy Brock into a chair and bent down to grab Pikachu's paws.

"PIKA!" Pikachu warned loudly, sparks flying from its cheeks.

Misty blinked. "Okay, you don't want to dance... Oh my GOD! I have to get ready!!" She sped off.

"But Misty, you have ten hours!" Brock called after her, futily.

"Kachu pi, ka pika pikachu..." Pikachu repeated.

"Oh yeah," Brock said. "What is it?"

"Kachu Pikapi..." It's about Ash...

Pikachu related the story of the half-crazed Dratini to Brock.

And then, he fainted... Pikachu finished.

"And you FELL for it?" Brock snorted. 

What?

"Come on! All of those stories have been in the magazines a thousand times! This jerk was obviously trying to mess with your mind." Brock tilted his head. "It's the oldest trick in the book!"

But... Pikachu struggled. It SOUNDED like Ash...

"That's not hard, if you read a lot of interviews."

But why would anyone come up with a story so STUPID?

"Well, you believed it, didn't you?" Brock leaned back wisely.

But...

"Look, Pikachu, even if this IS Ash, we'd never be able to find out for sure," Brock pointed out. "No one on earth would give us a search warrant for THAT. Trust me, Pikachu, someday you'll look back on this and realize that Dratini was just a con artist."

"Pika..."

"And don't you DARE tell Togetic about this!" Brock yelled. "Togetic's too young to question it! It would just hurt Misty!"

"Pika Kachu?" And this boyfriend won't?

"Are you worried about Misty, or your fifty bucks?" Brock asked slyly.

"Pichupi!" Misty! Pikachu said indignantly. "Ka pikachu pika ka..." And a lot more than that...

"What else?" Brock asked.

Pikachu stared up at Brock. "Pikapi."

A few beats passed.

"I'm telling you, that was NOT HIM!" Brock yelled, storming outside and slamming the door.

"Pika!" Pikachu cursed.

"CHAN!" Chansey, horrified, grabbed Pikachu by the neck and dragged him off to the bathroom. I'm going to wash your mouth out with soap!!

Pikachu uttered several more Pokémon obscenities as Chansey dragged him away.

~*~

Ash groggily opened his eyes. He had a vague memory of..._something_ happening between the Thunder attack and now, but he could not remember details...And he had a feeling that was a mercy.

"Ah...You're awake!" A girl, about Brock's age, entered the room. Her wavy brown hair was pinned up in Nurse Joy's hairstyle, and her outfit resembled Joy's too.

As Ash woke up a little more, he noticed that he was in what looked for all the world like a Pokémon Center treatment room...Except for the black walls, and the red, R-shaped clock. He tried to move his head, but the wave of dull pain quickly convinced him to put it back down.

"I'll bet you're pretty sore," the nurse said, patting him sympathetically. "They always are..." She trailed off, and her blue eyes looked into the distance.

He noticed the faint melody coming from behind the door, fast-paced and cheerful. He listened to the catchy tune, or to what he could hear of it... And then the song ended. 

The Rocket-Joy noticed the silence. "Oh, I'd better put on a new MIDI," she said. She opened the door and went outside. 

"I like putting these songs on," she called to Ash from the lobby, where she was fiddling with her computer. "It gives this place a nicer atmosphere...Not that it'll ever have much of one, with THIS decorating scheme..." She clapped her hand to her mouth, half-sincerely. "You won't tell the boss I said that, will you?"

Ash shook his head.

"I really hope that means no," she said dryly. Suddenly, a beautiful, sad piano solo came on. Ash listened to it, entranced. The piano solo shifted to a song prelude.

"Oh, you like it?" the Joy said, coming back into the room. The music shifted again, into a beautiful song with a discernable melody. The song must have had lyrics, but the melody was instead represented by an instrument.

"It's called, "Fate is so Beautiful"," the Rocket-Joy said softly. "It's from an anime series named Sailor Moon...Though I'm not sure I agree with the title at all, it is a beautiful song, isn't it?..."

Ash nodded enthusiastically, wincing a little.

"You should be out of here soon...Not that that's good..." the woman said. "...Why do you seem so...so _familiar_? It's almost like I know you or something..."

A Chansey wearing a little "R" necklace walked in. Abruptly, the woman became brusque and businesslike.

"Oh good, Chansey, you're through. Now, I need some help with this one. The boss made it a special priority, and he'll have our heads if it isn't back soon."

Chansey nodded. A warm, golden glow surrounded her arms and egg, and she placed her hands on Ash. Slowly, he felt himself healing.

Chansey lifted her hands.

"Well, better get him back to the boss," the brown-haired nurse said, holding up a Pokéball. "Dratini, return!"

~*~

A few minutes later, Ash reappeared on the training ground.

You lost, huh?

Oh, hi, Sandstone. The Diglett popped up next to Ash.

It's okay. It was your first Gym battle. Actually, I have no clue what Giovanni was on, sending you out there. Sandstone snorted. For crying out loud, you only know two attacks! What took you out?

Pikachu, Ash said absently. Sandstone...What do you know about that nurse?

Nurse? Oh, that's Nurse Serena. Sandstone's tone was casual, as only a true expert's could be.

Nurse...Serena?

Yeah. Boss's best friend brought her up here. According to rumor, it was the guy's daughter. He'd left his wife and took 'er with him. The guy was a bigamist, he apparently had two other families he liked more.

Left...his...wife...

Our old Nurse Joy took care of her, Sandstone continued. Joy had left the family, and Giovanni lured her in. Then, when Joy died, Serena took over. Better than joining Team Rocket, I guess... 

Serena...

Sandstone noticed Ash looking off into space. Ash? What is it?

Giovanni stalked up then, recalling the Pokémon for the night. "Dratini, Diglett, return!" he called.

__

Serena... 

Ash stared up at his stars until he finally fell asleep...

~*~

Misty burst into the Pokémon Center, grinning, at ten o'clock. "Pikachu!" she exclaimed happily. She grabbed him and squeezed.

"Gosh Misty, what is it?" Brock asked.

Misty threw the sky-blue scarf--which, Pikachu abruptly noticed, she did NOT start the date with--over her shoulder. She grinned.

"Darien and I are going steady!!"

Pikachu froze. Joy and Brock ran up to congratulate Misty, but Pikachu couldn't move.

__

Pikapi... 

He remembered one day, not long after Ash became Pokémon Master...

****

Come on, Ash, you are so totally in love with her! Pikachu yelled playfully.

"Come ON, Pikachu! I am not!!" Ash yelled back.

Then how come you haven't given her her bike money?

Ash froze. "I--I keep forgetting..."

Yeah, sure! You just don't want her to leave!

Ash opened his mouth angrily, then changed his mind. He tilted his head and grinned. 

"Okay, maybe I _don't_ want her to leave. Now what do you think about that?"

Ash turned and quickly walked down the corridor.

Ash! Pikachu yelled, annoyed, and ran after him.

Now Pikachu stood there, watching Misty rave about Darien, and only one thought came to his mind...

__

Ash...

~*~


	8. Pikapi-kachu

~If I Could Change the World~

Ch. 7: Pikapi-kachu

"Pikachu? What're you doing?" Brock asked. As he got closer, he could see that Pikachu was holding an orange-haired, swimsuit-clad Barbie doll in one paw and a Ken doll in the other. 

Pikachu pretended the Barbie was speaking. "Pika! Pi pikapikapi pikachu pikapi-kapika ka!" Hi! I'm innocent water-trainer Ash-betraying Barbie!

He moved the Ken. "Pika, Pikapi-kachu pika chu chupi pichu chupika pikaka pika! Pika pi ka!" I'm a jerk, Pikapi-kachu annoying womanizing despicable Satanist demon! Let's go out!

In the old Pikachu legends, Pikapi-kachu was a thief, criminal, and general devil who hurt people and Pokemon all over the world, shaming every Pikachu tribe then in existence. In the end, all of the Pikachu tribes banded together to defeat him. In remembrance of that legend, Pikachus called traitors, criminals, and anyone else they just happened to hate "Pikapi-kachu".

"Hey, Pikachu!"

Pikachu jumped. I wasn't doing anything, I swear!

"Give me back my Barbies!!" Brock snatched them away quickly, stuffing them back into his backpack. "So, you don't like Darien much, do you?"

Do YOU? Pikachu said carefully.

"Well... I probably shouldn't be saying this, but no, I hate the jerk!" 

Pikachu grinned. YESSS! Finally!!

Misty waltzed into the room, humming happily. Pikachu groaned and buried his face in a pillow. 

"Date with Darien?" Brock said blandly. 

"Oh, yes!! And I think he's going to do something special tonight!!" Misty beamed.

Like not be a jerk? Pikachu said sarcastically through the pillow.

"Like what?" Brock asked.

"Well, he's taking me to the most expensive restaurant in town!"

It must be because you've already been to all the OTHER nice places. The guy must be a stinkin' millionaire... 

"I think... I think he might propose!!" 

"KAPI-KAKA!" Oh God!!

Brock just stared. Finally, he managed to say, "Oh...Really?"

Misty smiled enigmatically and waltzed out the door. 

Pikachu lifted his head out of the pillow and looked at Brock. "Kapi pikachu pika." We have to do something about this.

"Yeah, but what?..." Brock said.

Well, we have to make this the least romantic setting possible, Pikachu said.

An evil grin spread over Brock's face. "Are you thinking what I'm thinking?"

"Ka pi ka, pika kachupi?" It depends, what are you thinking?

"Okay, here's my plan..." Brock leaned down to Pikachu's level and whispered.

"Hey, what are you two planning?"

Brock and Pikachu jumped. "Ah! Oh hi Joy! Why'd you sneak up on us like that?!" Brock sweatdropped.

"Just trying to see what you two are up to..." Joy said. She started to walk away, then turned, smiling. "Oh, by the way, if you two are planning to break up Misty's date tonight, I'm on the late shift, but I can give you supplies."

"How did you know?" Brock asked. 

"I didn't. Woman's intuition." Joy smiled.

Brock sighed. "Okay, Joy, here's what we'll need..."

~*~

There was a bolt of static on Pikachu's walkie-talkie. "ApronMaster to ElectricMouse, can you hear me, over."

"Pika-kacha pipika, pikachu pika." ElectricMouse to ApronMaster, I copy, Over.

"ApronMaster to Electric Mouse... WHY DID YOU GIVE ME SUCH A STUPID CODE NAME, OVER?!!!!!!"

"Pi, pi pika-kacha pikapikachu?!!" Hey, you think ElectricMouse isn't a bad name?!!

"Look, let's just give this military junk up, okay?" Brock sighed.

"Pika." Agreed.

"Has the subject come within range of your coordinates?"

"PIKA PIKAPIKACHU!!!" YOU SAID WE WERE GIVING UP THE MILITARY JUNK!!

"I just meant "over" and the code names, but fine!!" Brock fumed for a second. "Have you seen Misty yet!"

"Pika." No.

"Okay. Is plan 1A in motion yet?"

"Pikapikapikachupika?!" What do you THINK I've been doing?!

"Okay, okay!" Brock said, rolling his eyes.

Pikachu kept his eyes on the parking lot. A purple car leaving, a green car coming in, two minivans leaving (Pikachu had seen that. They were planning to have their family reunion there, but left in disgust when they saw the prices--and the Ricky Martin wall in the greeting room), and--

"Pika! Pikapikachu pika!" Brock! Ugly blue convertible coming in!

Brock had commented once on the ugly shade of blue on Darien's car. "Do you have positive confirmation?"

Pikachu squinted for a minute. "Pika! Pika Pikapi-kachu pi Chukapi-pika pikakachu!" Yes! Pikapi-kachu and Mistaken Misty have been sighted!

"Geeze, and I thought _I_ had a stupid code name..." Brock rolled his eyes, then quickly said, "But it's very apt and clever! I admire you for coming up with it!!"

"Pikakachu," Pikachu said affectionately. Butt-kisser.

"HEY!"

"Pika, pika ka cha!" Shut up, someone'll hear you!

"Okay, okay already!!"

"Pikapikachu!!" They're coming in!! He watched in disgust as Darien opened Misty's door for her. "Pikapi-kachu."

More static from the walkie-talkie. "I'm in the kitchen! Plan 1B going into motion!!"

"Pika." Ok.

Pikachu watched in silent anticipation and disgust as Darien and Misty walked arm-in-arm to the restaurant door. "Pikakachu pika pi pi...ka...chu..." Plan 1A in motion in three...two...one...

The happy couple stepped onto the doorstep...and onto many, many tacks.

"OOOOOWWW!!"

"So, I take it Plan 1A worked?" Brock said into the walkie-talkie.

"Pika! Pika pi ka chu pikapika pikachu!!" Yes! I don't know how it worked, so go on with 1B!

"I copy." Brock stepped out of his hiding place and intercepted the waitress who was returning to the reception area. "Hello, gorgeous, how's it going tonight?" 

The waitress blinked. "What the--"

"For such a pretty young lady, I don't see how anything could go wrong," Brock said, at his most suave. 

The waitress blushed slightly. "Well, thank you, but I have so many customers--"

"Well, I'm sure they'll be sad to be deprived of such a gorgeous young woman's company, but there are other waitresses, aren't there?" 

"Well..."

Meanwhile, Pikachu watched the annoyed couple pick the tacks out of their shoes. 

"Who the heck did this?!" Misty fumed. 

"Don't worry, Misty. Nothing could ever spoil an evening with you for me." Darien smiled and Misty went into a valley-girl ditziness.

"Pika." Ew. He quickly followed as they stepped through the door.

"Hmmm, that's strange. Nobody's at the desk," Darien said. 

Pikachu, hiding behind a potted tree, grinned like crazy. What did you know, it was actually working! He never thought Brock could actually hold a girl's attention for more than five seconds, but he was performing admirably tonight.

Five minutes passed by and Pikachu's eyes bugged out. ~What are they DOING?~ Darien started to tap his foot impatiently.

Finally, six minutes after plan 1B started, an angry-looking waitress came to the desk. "Welcome to Tajari's authentic Japanese cuisine!!! How may I help you!"

"Pichapi, pika pikachupika?" Brock, how'd it go? Pikachu whispered into the walkie-talkie.

"Man, that girl is more desperate than _I_ am--no, was!!" Brock said.

"Pika pikaka chupika chaaaaa?" Hard to forget those Joy-chasing days, huh?

"Yeah, I still can't believe she's going out with me..." There was a pause.

"Pichapi, pikachu!!!" Brock, snap out of it!!!

"Wha? Oh yeah." Brock laughed nervously. "I eventually had to flat-out reject her just to get her away from me! And then, she walloped me with her mallet. Good thing I'm used to it."

"Pi, pika pikachu, pikapikachu..." Wow, someone more desperate than you, I didn't think that was possible...

"Oh, shut up."

Pikachu snapped to attention. "Pikapi-kachu-pika pika kapi kachu." Pikapi-kachu-and co are moving out.

"Okay. I'm moving to the kitchen. Call me with the information for Plan 2A when you get it."

"Pika." Okay. Pikachu carefully noted where Misty and Darien were sitting, and snuck just close enough to listen in.

"Pika pi pikapikachu, pi pika pi ka chu." The waitress has a high voice, they're ordering two iced teas and champagne. Pikachu wrinkled his nose. "Pikachu chu!" They're too young for that!!

"Misty had her 21st birthday yesterday," Brock reminded him. Pikachu just grumbled, remembering the pearl necklace he had "just happened to see, and they made me think of you."

"Two teas and a '64 Sylvania!" a high-pitched voice called.

~That has to be it.~ The cook set the teas out on the counter and went down to the wine cellar. Quickly and carefully, Brock took out a special concoction they had prepared earlier and poured some into each glass. He quickly ducked back to his hiding place just as another cook turned to put a plate of sushi for a waitress to get.

"Got it," he whispered into the walkie-talkie.

Pikachu giggled. Alka-Seltzer, grape cough syrup, Tropical Punch Kool-Aid, and two Rare Candies mixed together wouldn't kill anyone, but it would give them a nasty surprise. At least, he hoped it wouldn't kill anyone. They'd tested it on Psyduck, and he wasn't dead yet. Of course, Psyduck was Psyduck... He shook himself out of his thoughts and watched as the waitress placed two iced teas and a bottle of champagne on the table.

The tropical punch Kool-Aid had been added just for the heck of it, but it did provide a little tang. Also, it took the edge off of it. Brock didn't think that was good, but Pikachu insisted. Those Rare Candies tasted like grass.

"A toast to us!" Darien said, holding out his glass of tea.

Misty giggled and clinked his glass. They both drank deeply.

"Erk!" They spat it out all over each other. "God, what IS this?!!" Misty said.

"I don't know." He looked down at himself. "We'd better go get cleaned up."

"Yes," Misty said. They both left the table.

Pikachu saw the golden opportunity they had dreamed of. "Pichapi! Pikapikchu!!! Pika pi!!" Brock! They left the table!!! I'm going in!!

Pikachu quickly scampered up onto the table, and making sure no one was watching, he unscrewed the lids of the salt and pepper shakers, poured tainted tea into the sauces, and stole the ketchup. He didn't know if it would work, but he shook the champagne bottle too.

He got safely back to his hiding place as Misty and Darien came back. 

"Pika pika-chu!!" Mission accomplished!!

"Wow, great, Pikachu!!" Brock said. "You deserve a reward!!"

"Pi pika pi-chu." I already have one. He grinned and started sucking ketchup out of his bottle.

Brock laughed, hearing the slurping and guessing correctly. "I should have known. Call me when they order."

Pikachu and Brock waited, biding their time, thinking of their next devious schemes. 

~*~

"Dragonair, go!"

There was a red flash of light, and the mythical, graceful Pokemon appeared...balancing perilously on its head. 

Gaaaah! it yelled as it tumbled head-over-heels into the pool.

You never will learn, will you Ash? An amused Diglett peered over the edge of the pool.

Ash dove down slightly; he then leapt out of the water, soaring gracefully in the air for a moment, and made a perfect landing behind the Diglett.

No, never, Sandstone. Ash would've grinned if he hadn't been a Dragonair.

Ha ha. Anyway, I have something for you. Sandstone burrowed into the ground.

What? Ash asked. Sandstone popped up in front of him, a slightly dirty cookie balanced on his head. 

Happy Anniversary, Ash! he said brightly. Of course, being here for a year isn't much to celebrate, but it's not much of a celebration either.

Thanks, Sandstone, Ash said. Where did you get it?

One of the Rockets-in-training just LOVES ground Pokemon, Diglett said smugly. I also managed to get an Everstone from her once.

Ash laughed, surprised. So THAT'S why you haven't evolved! 

Yeah, it really ticks Giovanni off. I think he's getting over it, though. He tossed the cookie over to Ash. Hey, I bet you could find a Dragon-loving scientist really easy! A LOT of them!! Heck, you might even be able to get out!

I don't know about THAT...

"Okay, training schedules!" Giovanni barked. "Machokes 1, 2, 3, you will--"

The lights went out.

What the-- Ash and Sandstone said in unison.

"Prepare for Trouble!"

"Make it Double!"

Oh, man, no WAY! Ash said.

"To Protect the World from Devastation!"

What?

"To Free All Peoples Within Our Nation!"

Those are the nutjobs who got me INTO this place! Ash yelled.

"To Show the Value of Truth and Love!"

"To See the Light of the Stars Above!"

"Jessie!"

"James!"

The two Rocket members leapt to the middle of the floor.

"Team Rocket can Blast Off at the Speed of Light!" Jessie yelled defiantly.

"We won't surrender, prepare to Fight!" James said, determined.

"Meowth! That's Right!" Meowth landed on their heads.

"What in the world are you two imbeciles doing?!" Giovanni yelled.

"Well, we couldn't compromise our STYLE!" Jessie said.

"Resignation is so degrading," James continued.

"So we thought we'd tell ya dis way..." Meowth said.

"WE QUIT!" they chorused.

Wow, Team Rocket has a brain after all! Ash said.

"So, we'll just be leavin' now..." Meowth said as they walked towards the door.

Spoke too soon. Ash sighed.

Giovanni laughed. "You think you can just quit Team Rocket anytime you want?"

"Well, um, yes--" James said.

"There is only one way out of Team Rocket!" Giovanni yelled.

Five bucks says he'll say "And that's in a coffin", Sandstone whispered.

You're on.

"And that's in a coffin!!"

Darn! Ash sighed. So, HOW much do I owe you now?

Oh, three million dollars, give or take...

Right.

"Wha-what?" Meowth said.

"Persian, teach these fools a lesson!" Giovanni yelled.

"Perrr!"

The trio backed up a little in fear.

"Well," Meowth said weakly, "I always WANTED ta get that Persian..."

"Meowth..."

"Persian, Fury Swipes!"

Meowth had no time to dodge and was hit hard. He quickly countered by leaping on Persian and scratching like mad. 

"Yes! Go, Meowth!" Jessie cheered.

Persian lifted a paw and smacked Meowth across the room.

"Oh wow, that HAD to HURT," James said.

Hey, lookit Sherlock Holmes! one of the Machops yelled, laughing.

Sandstone sighed. These Pokemon are the MASTERS of snide commentary.

Hey, no wonder old Gio-boss likes 'em so much, Ash mused. I'll bet Gary has twelve of 'em. Except knowing him, they'd have evolved by now...

Gary... Sandstone said. He's that jerk from your town who's always gloating about his Pokemon, right? The one who used to have the cheerleading squad?

Yeah, I told you all ABOUT him. Ash laughed.

Yeah, you told me a lot about him, and that freaky dude in the apron.

Ash sweatdropped at Sandstone's description of Brock. Yeah.

Mm-hmmm... The only people you blabber MORE about are that Pikachu and that girl, what's her name, Mis--

While Ash and Sandstone had been talking, Meowth had been recuperating. Fury in his eyes, he jumped up and yelled, "PAY DAY!"

As much to Meowth's surprise as everyone else's, a blizzard of coins appeared out of nowhere, smacking Persian, who yowled, annoyed. Meowth saw that Persian was weakened as well as distracted by the coins, so he took the opportunity.

Persian was batting at the coins, trying to create a break in the barrage wide enough to see what was happening, when out of nowhere, Meowth landed a hard kick on his forehead.

When the dust and coins cleared, Persian was out like a light.

YESSSS!! And it's root, root, root for the VISITORS! Sandstone yelled. All around, Giovanni's Pokemon were cheering. Every single one of them could remember being beaten up by Persian. While some of the Pokemon were rooting for Giovanni, no one was sad to see Persain go down. 

"Yes!" Jessie yelled. "Go, Meowth!"

"When on earth did he learn Payday?" James wondered.

Jessie smacked him. "Who cares, as long as he knows it now!"

Giovanni was stunned--but mostly angry. "Persian! Return!"

He turned to his former employees, teeth gritted. "That was a mistake. Machoke!! Go!!"

Giovanni's largest and strongest Machoke stepped to his master's side. 

You think they stand a chance? Sandstone whispered.

Ash laughed. They wouldn't even 'stand a chance' against YOU, much less Persian! Something very strange is going on here!

Meowth looked at the huge creature looming before him and sweatdropped. "Er..."

"Machoke, Seismic Toss!" Giovanni yelled.

"Uh-oh." Meowth cringed.

Machoke stepped toward Meowth...

"AAAAaaaAAAA--"

"Good lord!" James said.

"--AAAaaaAAAaaaAAA--"

Watch out for that wall--too late, Sandstone said.

"--AAaaaaAAAAAaaaAAAA--"

I'm really starting to pity him, Ash commented.

"--AAAaaaAAAAaaaaAAAAaaaaaAAAAAH!!!!" Machoke finally let Meowth go, sending him crashing into yet another wall.

Jessie waited a beat. "Oh dear."

Meowth was on the floor, knocked out by Machoke after an impossible victory over Persian.

James ran and picked Meowth up from the floor. He quickly ran back, just in case Machoke got any ideas.

Jessie bit her lip, thinking. "Arbok, go!"

Not bad, Ash commented. If Arbok's as good as Meowth suddenly is, maybe they have a chance.

"Arbok, poison him, quick!" Jessie yelled.

With luck formerly only seen with a certain ten-year-old trainer with a Pikachu, Arbok dodged Machoke's defense and landed a good bite on its leg. Due to an appearance of the same luck, the venom floored Machoke in seconds.

Wow! Sandstone said. That Arbok's pretty good! I pity the one the boss calls against HIM!

Giovanni scowled. "Machoke, return! Dragonair, I choose you!!"

Wha--!?! Argh, Sandstone, WHY did you have to say that? Ash complained as he slithered to the field.

Oops, I invited fate, didn't I?... Hey, wait, I invited Fate to call ME, not YOU! Sandstone yelled.

"A Dragonair!" James said. "Imagine if we could catch that for the boss!!"

Jessie smacked him across the head with a frying pan. "JAMES, DON'T BE A MORON!!"

Not again, Arbok sighed. 

She does that often?

VERY. Arbok paused, looking at Ash strangely. Do I...Know you?

"Okay, Arbok! Bite attack!" Jessie yelled.

Gaah! Ash launched himself into the air. Arbok plunged down on the very spot Ash would have been and glared up, annoyed.

"Dragonair, Ice Beam," Giovanni ordered.

Ash looked at Arbok for a second.

~Even if he DID attack me all those times...I can't.~

Ash aimed his Ice Beam and fired, missing by a centimeter.

Arbok glared up. You did that on purpose!

Ash, don't be a hero! Sandstone called.

Why not? I'm pretty good at it, Ash called back.

Aw, dangit Ash--!

"Arbok, wrap!" Jessie called out.

Arbok obeyed. Ash squirmed a little, but not too hard; Wrap was much better than Poison Sting.

~Ash...~ Arbok thought back. He had learned a lot since becoming an Arbok, and his vocabulary showed it. Ash... Wait a second!

What?

Ash was the name of that brat with the Pikachu we were always after! Jessie-master kept wondering what happened to him after they brought him here and he never turned up outside. Strange... Must be a--a--co-in-ci-dennce! Arbok said.

Um, not really, Ash said.

What?!

"Dragonair, stop wasting time and get out of that hold!!" Giovanni bellowed.

Listen, I don't have much time! Giovanni has a lot of Pokemon! You don't stand a chance, and even if you DO beat them all, he'll kill you anyway! I--I've seen it. Ash was almost free of Arbok's wrap.

Wha--

Now, I'm going to miss you with a Hyper Beam! Ash said. You pretend to faint! Jessie will call you back, and when no one's looking, you sneak out of your Pokeball and take care of the guards! I'll make a distraction, then you guys run for it! It's your only chance! Ash said quickly. There wasn't much longer Giovanni would allow him to dawdle.

But WHY? Arbok asked.

I can't just let you die! I've seen the rest of Team Rocket, and you guys are as good as it gets! Everyone else is much more evil! You deserve a second chance! Ash finally wriggled free.

"Dragonair! Hyper Beam!" Giovanni yelled.

Ash started to gather up the energy. Just, could you do me one favor?

Arbok was still a bit confused. S-Sure.

Call my friends, Misty, Pikachu, and Brock, will you?

All riiiggghhtt...

Ash fired. A huge ball of light burst out and hit the ground just in front of Arbok.

"Oh no! Arbok!" Jessie cried.

~*~*~

Will Team Rocket win against Giovanni? Will Brock and Pikachu manage to totally wreck Misty's date? Why am I suddenly asking questions like this? Well, this chapter got a bit long, so I've had to split it up a bit. ^^; And will Misty come to her senses before it's too late? Find out in the next chapter of If I Could Change the World, "Of Chess and Chess Games"!!


	9. Of Chess and Chess Games

If I Could Change the World

Ch. 8: Of Chess and Chess Games

~Author's note: I should have put this on last chapter, but... I finally got to skip a year between Chapter Six and Chapter Seven. That's why Ash is suddenly a Dragonair and Misty is plausibly thinking Darien might propose. Thank you. ^^;~

~NOTE TWO: I hereby dedicate this chapter to all of those people who died or were affected by the World Trade Center bombing on September 11, 2001. A tree fell in the forest. Everyone heard it, and yes, it made a sound. And may God help us all.~

~*~

Darien and Misty sat staring at their menus, unaware of the best-laid plans of mouse and man going on around them, and specifically not of the yellow mouse behind their booth and the squinty-eyed guy in the kitchen.

"Have you finished ordering yet, sir, madam?" the waitress asked politely.

Pikachu threw down his bottle of ketchup and listened.

"Yes, we'll have the sushi platter for two, please," Darien said.

"Kachupi!! Pikapikakachu!!" Brock!! Sushi platter!!

"I'm on it!" Brock said into the walkie-talkie.

Brock concentrated from behind the sack of potatoes.

"Sushi for two!!" a waitress yelled. 

"Wonderful, they're sharing a plate," Brock groaned. "VERY good sign."

He waited for the cook to look away from the plate.

And waited...And waited...

The cook put the plate on the shelf and rang a bell. The waitress grabbed it before Brock could move.

"Pikachu!" he whispered. "I couldn't get to it!"

Pikachu moaned. "Pika!" Great!

"It wasn't MY fault!! They wouldn't look away!"

"Pika pikachu pika?!" Couldn't you have distracted them?!

"No! PLEASE, Pikachu, we don't have time for this!"

Pikachu was about to reply when he heard something. 

"Bleaugh!!" Darien yelled. 

"Eee, how old IS this stuff?!" Misty screamed.

Pikachu laughed. "Kachupi, pikapikachu!! Pika pika?" Brock, you DID do it!! Why didn't you tell me?

"Er..." Brock threw away the bottle he had been supposed to dump on the food. "Just a joke, Pikachu."

"Pika, pikapikachu!" Please, you had me scared there!

"Yeah, well..." Brock laughed nervously.

"Pika pikapikachu, chaaa, ka?" I think plan 13-B ought to wrap it up nicely, don't you?

"Yeah, I guess, if they're reordering."

"Pika." They are.

"Okay, then, I'm getting into position. I'll call you. Brock out."

"Pi, pika." Yeah, okay.

Brock snuck out of the kitchen, hiding behind a potted tree as a harried waitress ran up.

"What the--" Someone in the kitchen dropped a pot-- "is going ON back there?! That was the worst--" The cook dropped the pot again as he stood up-- "food you morons ever made! Make another sushi for two!! And you better get it--" All of the pots in the kitchen fell on the chef-- "-ing right this time, you hear me?!"

"Yes, ma'am!!" the cooks yelled.

"Yeah," said a feeble voice, muffled by several pans.

"GOOD! 'Cause my butt's on the line here too!!" The waitress stormed out.

"Jeeze Louise, she's--"

There was a huge clanking of pans as the cook tried to get up.

"Yeah, man," all of the cooks agreed.

Brock shook his head. "Yeesh."

About ten minutes later, the cook rang the bell. "Hey lady, your--"

The other cook sighed and clanked the last pot onto the counter.

"--food's ready!"

"About--"

The rattling of the door caused all of the pots and pans to fall again on the cook.

"--ing time!!" the waitress yelled as the double doors swished behind her.

"GAAAH!!" the cook yelled. "I QUIT!!!"

Pans clanked deafeningly as the cook got up and stormed out.

"What's HIS problem?" the waitress said.

The cook shrugged. "Danged if I know."

"Ah, whatever." Brock got into position. 

"This better be good, you morons," the waitress yelled as she stormed out, "or I'll--"

She tripped on Brock's outstretched foot. The plate broke and sushi flew everywhere. Brock ran like wild Growlithes were after him, knowing that if he wasn't fast enough, something even worse WOULD be.

A middle-aged couple was being walked to a table. "Oh, look at the adorable Pikachu!!" the woman squealed.

Pikachu froze, flashed his cutest smile at them, and ran like heck.

"Hmm, strange," said the woman.

Brock and Pikachu laughed as they ran out of the restaurant.

~

Misty sighed. "This has been wonderful."

"I should've done something," Darien sighed. "I'm really sorry."

"Oh, I know it's not your fault. I don't blame you." Misty paused, looking out at the stars from the balcony they were on. "I don't think much can be done to salvage this date."

"Well, how about this?" 

Misty gasped in happiness. "Oh, Darien!"

~*~

As the dust cleared, Arbok lay on the ground, seemingly knocked out.

"Oh... Arbok, return!" Jessie said.

~There's part one finished. Hope I didn't *really* knock Arbok out.~ Ash grinned slightly.

Ash, what the heck are you doing?! Sandstone yelled.

White knight to square A-5!! Ash yelled back.

WHAT?!

It's a chess thing!

"Wheezing, go!" James said.

"Wheezing whee-zing?" Hi, you--friend?

Ash saw his chance. Yes! But your master doesn't know that!

Master...Not know?

Right! He thinks I'm the enemy!

You...enemy?

NO! Ash said. I'm trying to help you, but he doesn't know it!!

You help Master? 

YES! Ash said, slightly exasperated. Wheezing wasn't exactly the brightest bulb in the world, but he was a decent Pokemon.

You friend!

Yes! I need your help! Ash said, relieved.

How I help?

Just pretend to attack me, then when Arbok poisons the guards, use a smokescreen and get the heck out of here with your Master! 

"Dragonair! Tackle!" Giovanni yelled. Ash flubbed a leap, landing several feet away from Wheezing.

"Me...owth? You're help--"

SHHH! Giovanni might hear!! Ash hissed at the awakening Meowth. 

"Fine. Meowth? Meowth Meow Meowth Meooooowww?" Fine. You're helping us? Why the heck are you doin' THAT?

"Wheezing, tackle!" James called. Ash dodged it easily.

Because I hate Giovanni, and for some odd reason, I don't hate you! Ash yelled. 

Why do you hate Giovanni so much? Meowth asked.

"Dragonair, Ice beam!" Ash took his sweet time powering it up.

He's a jerk! Why do YOU think?! Didn't you *KNOW* that?! 

"Wheezing, dodge it when it fires!"

Only recently, after that Ash kid disappeared. Hey, you're in with the boss. Do you know where he is? Meowth asked.

Ash fired the Ice Beam so off-course that even the slow Wheezing managed to dodge it. The beam crystallized into ice against the wall.

Yeah, he's right here! Ash said quickly. 

What?

I'm Ash!

No way!! You lying jerk!!

Ash sighed. Team Rocket, you're never getting my Pikachu!! he yelled.

Oh my god! 

Ash looked just behind the Rockets and saw Arbok quietly pop out of its Pokeball and slither towards the Rockets guarding the exit. 

"Dragonair you imbecile, try a tackle!" Giovanni roared.

Ash tried to Tackle, but tripped.

Nice acting, kid, Meowth complimented.

Er... He decided not to tell them that it wasn't acting.

Arbok slithered back, grinning a snake grin.

Meowth! Drag Jessie and James out when Wheezing does Smokescreen! The guards are out cold and I'll delay 'em! Ash yelled.

You will WHAT?! Sandstone yelled. 

All right! Meowth said.

"Wheezing, smokescreen!" James ordered.

A huge blast of smoke blew everywhere, obscuring sight and security cameras. Two stifled yelps were heard as Jessie and James' Pokemon shoved them out the door. Luckily, they quickly got the idea. 

Giovanni was coughing for a few minutes. Then, as the smoke dissapated, he looked up--and saw the empty challengers' stand. 

"PERSIAN! AFTER THEM!" he yelled.

"Per!" Persian started to run. Ash knew it was now or never; Persian would be able to track them down in seconds. 

He fired an Ice Beam.

"WHAT?!" Giovanni yelled as Persian was locked into a block of ice. All eyes turned to the Dragonair in the middle of the arena.

Ash's eyes were cool as he looked levelly at Giovanni.

"What do you have to say for yourself?!" he screamed.

There was a silence that scared Giovanni and his minions. Finally, after a few beats, Ash spoke.

Check.

He knew perfectly well what he was in for. Ash closed his eyes as Giovanni screamed an order at his Pokemon, hoping the world would go black quickly...

~*~

"Hello!!" Misty waltzed in to the Pokemon Center.

"Oh, hi, Misty. How did your date go?" asked Nurse Joy. 

"Oh, it was horrible. All of these accidents kept happening--and that's supposed to be the restaraunt in town!!" Misty pouted.

Brock and Pikachu quietly sniggered.

"But then, something happened that made up for all of it." Misty went into a reverie. Brock and Pikachu turned around, startled. 

"What happened, Misty?" Brock asked.

"Well..." Misty said shyly. She grinned. She held out her hand.

Pikachu's jaw dropped. A huge diamond ring was on Misty's finger.

"Darien proposed!!!" Misty squealed happily.

~Proposed...proposed...proposed...~ The word echoed in Pikachu's mind.

He didn't say anything all night. He just stared at the ceiling, eyes full of tears. Eventually he fell asleep.

__

"Pikachu! I'm back!" Ash called, walking into the Pokemon Center.

"PIKAPI!!" Pikachu ran into Ash's arms, safe and warm again for the first time in a year.

"Yeah, I missed you too, buddy." A tear of happiness leaked out of Ash's eye. 

He composed himself. "So, where's Misty?"

Misty walked into the Pokemon Center, clinging onto Darien. "Oh, Ash, hi. This is my husband Darien!!!! Isn't he wonderful!!"

"STOP EMBARASSING ME, MISTY!!!" Darien screamed, knocking Misty to the ground.

"Hey, watch it Mister, you can't just--" Ash said.

Misty struggled to her feet and clobbered Ash with her mallet. "Ash!! Don't talk to my husband that way!!!" 

"But--But he was--"

"God, you are such an immature little brat!!!" Misty screamed. She and Darien stormed out of the Pokemon Center, Darien pulling her arm so hard that Pikachu thought it would come off.

Ash slowly put his hand to where Misty had knocked him to the floor.

"Pikapi..." Pikachu put his paw on Ash's shoulder. Ash stood up, zombielike, and left.

Darkness--running--

Pikachu was running frantically though the dark woods, following Ash, not sure what he was doing but knowing that he had to follow. Finally, after what seemed like hours--or minutes-- he saw Ash, standing on the moonlit horizon.

"Pikapi!!" Pikachu yelled.

As he got closer, he saw the cliff, and the rocky shore below. "PIKAPI!!"

Ash turned around, eyes full of tears. "Pikachu, you should have stopped her..."

I tried, Ash!! I tried as hard as I could!!

"You didn't try hard enough..."

Please, Ash!! I need you!! Don't!!!

Ash laughed scornfully. "If you had needed me, you would have stopped her!"

No, Ash!! I tried, I swear I tried! She just wouldn't listen! I couldn't stop it Ash, I couldn't! I'm so sorry, Ash!! I tried!!! 

"Pikachu... You know I can't live without her..." 

I know, Ash, but please, just wait!! We'll bring her to her senses! And even if you don't, you'll find someone else! Please, Ash!! I love you!! Don't leave me here! Think of us, Ash!! Think of--think of the Spearow!! Think of the Snow cave! Think of that time we had to collect the orbs! Remember the Houndour, Ash! Remember us!!! Remember the Pokemon!! Please, Ash, you can't leave us now! We all need you so badly! The whole world needs you!! Ash, we'll always be here for you, even if she isn't!! Me, Noctowl, Heracross, Tauros, Kingler, ALL of us!! We love you, Ash! Even Charizard! Please, don't leave us, Ash!!

"Pikachu..." Ash whispered. "I just can't live like this..."

Please, Ash!!

"...Do you know what they did to me...?" Ash whispered. "They beat me...They threatened to kill me...I got barely enough food to live... I was always tied up...If I didn't start the campfire quickly enough, they'd hit me...And do you know how I lived through that...?"

Ash...

"I thought of you..." Ash said. "...I thought of having you riding on my head in the forest...Of Brock's Pasta Thursdays...and of Misty...I swore to myself that I would live, no matter what, just to get to Misty and to hold her in my arms and tell her I love her and never let her go..."

Ash...

"And...That got me through the worst times...just knowing there was something to live for...Pikachu, I had to swim a river to escape...It was so cold...and I just wanted to stop...to fall asleep, and forget all of the pain...But I crossed...I survived...I did it for Brock...I did it for you...and mostly I did it for Misty..."

Please, Ash--

"There's no hope, Pikachu, don't you see that? She loves him...or thinks she does...whichever it is, it doesn't matter. She will stay with him forever...And he'll kill her."

Ash, it doesn't have to be like this!

"Yes it does, Pikachu! Don't you see?" Ash cried. "She will never love me!! And I will always love her!!"

But Ash! Please! Pikachu cried desperately.

"I'm sorry, Pikachu...I have to do this...Please forgive me."

No, Ash!!!

Ash turned around, facing a choppy, wind-tossed sea. A gust blew across him, whipping his jacket like a cloak and blowing a tear from his eyes.

"Forgive me, Pikachu, Goodbye..."

He fell.

"PIKAPI!!" Pikachu raced to the cliff. The stormy sea threw itself against the rocky shoreline like the desperate ranks of the war in heaven. There was no sign of the fallen angel there; who noticed one angel in a sea of thousands?...

The wind ruffled Pikachu's fur. A few drops of windblown sea spray pattered on his face.

~Pikapi...~

He spread his arms wide, staring at the dark-blue, murky waters.

~I will forgive you, Ash, so long as you forgive me too...~

He simply fell forward, feeling the wind against his face and watching the dark sea come closer. He fell, and fell, and fell, and fell, and...

Ceiling.

Pikachu blinked. 

~It was...A dream?...~

He turned over and sobbed into his pillow.

Brock walked over to Zubat and Chansey, who were playing chess. He observed the game for a minute.

"That black knight has your queen there, Chansey," he observed.

I know, but he won't do anything. He has other matters on his mind. Chansey grinned as she put her white knight near the king. Check.

Zubat studied the board for a second and grinned. He moved his queen, taking the knight and putting his queen in line with White's king at the same time. Check.

Chansey groaned. Darn! First the queen, now the king! At least I got those pawns promoted.

Brock looked. Now that he noticed it, there were five white bishops on the board instead of the normal two.

Zubat wasn't watching my pawns closely enough, and with the help of my good old knight--*which he just captured*--those three bishops got to safety. I had to make 'em bishops. We don't have enough white queens. Now, I'm trying to get them over here with the rest of my troops for a big attack.

"Didn't you try to get your queen out of danger?" Brock asked. 

Yeah, my two castles were on the job, but it didn't work. Chansey sighed. But I'll get that queen out some time, I just know it!!

"Mm-hmmm." Brock walked away, leaving the two Pokemon to their seemingly normal chess game...


	10. Wishing for the Day

__

If I Could Change the World

Ch.9--Wishing for the Day

~AN: To one review: The ending was like Pearl Harbor? Really? I dunno why it reminded you of that, I never even saw the movie.

And to another: Thanks, Dragoness, I needed something else to put in this chapter!! ^^ And...no, that's not it...'Twas spur-of-the-moment... --;;;Eh-heh... Waaah, you're gonna kill me... --;; ~

~*~

Pikachu looked out of the window. The sky was infinitely blue, with gorgeous white clouds drifting innocently across it, unaware of how they were breaking the heart of the Pikachu in the Pokemon Center below them.

All of a sudden, he felt the breeze through the open window. Though it was warm, there was a hint of cold, of autumn in the air. The leaves hadn't fallen yet, but one could always tell by that wind that the season of change was coming near. How appropriate.

"Toki." Pikachu.

Pikachu turned around. "Pika, pikachu." Hi, Togetic.

Pikachu, I need to tell you something...

What is it?

Well, I was talking with Misty-mommy a few years ago, back when I was still a Togepi...

Yes?

Well, she was talking about Ash-hu--Ash, as usual. And then she said, "Togepi, I know you don't understand this, and I hope you never will, but I have to give up on Ash."

Pikachu just stared. She said that?

Yes. Then she said, "He's just so far up there, you know? He's too--angelic for me--Oh, Togepi, I don't know how to say this. It's just better for both of us if I just let him go. It'll never work. We don't have a chance, and I know that..."

Oh, jeeze... ~So THAT'S why!~

Pikachu had been wondering why on earth Misty had started to go out with Darien when Brock and himself had been sure she and Ash had been destined for each other. Pikachu was afraid he had been wrong, but maybe... Maybe there was still hope.

Ash, I'm not going to let you down yet. I'll straighten this out, or die trying, Pikachu said aloud.

What?

Nothing, Togetic. Pikachu smiled. Now if he could only--

He stopped as he looked out of the window. There was no way it could mean anything--after the way the weather had been matching his mood, probably exactly the opposite of what it seemed--but...

A line of black storm clouds was just visible on the horizon.

~

Little did Pikachu know, Misty was watching him as he stared out of the window. Just in case someone was watching, she turned her eyes to the novel she had in her hands, randomly picked from the library.

'Why? Lisa yelled at herself. Why does she have to manipulate him, and why does he always fall right into it, and why am I chasing him now when he's chasing her?'

She remembered the second time they'd met Melody, shortly after Ash won in the Johto league. It had been all nervous smiles from Ash, all annoyingly familiar "Eek, there's a Pokemon, save me Ash!"s from her. Misty had looked on, both angry and depressed--'That stupid girl, look what she's doing, oh, it's all my fault, why can't I tell him?'

That was when she had told Togepi that--

She flipped to another page.

'It is you I miss.

It's you who's on my mind,

It's you I cannot leave

behind.'

The trouble with serendipity.

Stupid kid, he was so darn sweet, and then in a second he'd turn annoying. And then make up for it all with an unmatchable display of courage.

'The end of the world, Lisa cried to herself.'

And wasn't it?

Darien... Misty sighed. Darien was nice, Darien loved her, she liked Darien...

And still she couldn't get Ash out of her mind... 

' "It's a pipe dream, and I know it." '

It was hopeless. What chance did she have, an orange-haired tomboy against practically all the women in the world?

'She allowed herself a rueful half smile. I guess when the aces were dealt out, it just wasn't in the cards for me to get the one I want.'

She sighed and looked at Pikachu. With some apprehension, she saw that he was talking to Togetic. What if...

'Before you can love someone, you have to like them.'

__

Just give it up, Misty, she chided herself, _it's just causing you pain. You'll get married, and you'll finally forget him._

__

Is that good_?_

'_He shouldn't have the power over you_, Claudia wanted to tell her. _You shouldn't _permit_ him that power! _But her heart understood all too clearly.'

It didn't matter anymore...

'It's me who's lost--

The me who lost her heart--

To you who tore my heart

apart.'

'But _loss_ was the world's new theme; loss and betrayal, anger and regret. And what could she hope to achieve against such malignant power? She had tried and failed, and the day would come soon when song itself was but a memory.'

She looked at that paragraph for several minutes.

And then she turned to the beginning of the book, sure that there was something worth reading in this novel after all.

'There was something new in the cool summer night skies of 2012...'

~*~

Jessie and James stepped off of the train.

They had run in silence through Viridian Forest all the way to Pallet Town, stopping at a stream to put on some disguises. No one suspected the pretty girl with the front part of her hair cut so it hung around her face, with two bunned ponytails at the back, much less that blue-haired dude with her, of doing anything, especially not being in Team Rocket.

Even the Pallet Station operator knew that they had come on with perfectly legitimate passes. Nothing was suspicious at all...

Even so, the Nurse Joy looked at them slightly suspiciously. No one that old had ever just waltzed in to her Pokemon Center. But... She shrugged. Maybe, if she tried, she might just have a home for her Pokemon...

"Hello," Joy said brightly. "Welcome to the Pokemon Center!"

"Sey?" A Blissey poked its tearstained face out from the broom closet. Joy had told it that SOMEONE had to take the new Chansey graduate from the nursing school, and she was sure Blissey would find a good home.

Just then, she saw a familiar face.

"SEY!!" Blissey ran into Jessie's arms. 

"Blissey?!" Jessie cried. She hadn't known that they'd come to THIS Pokemon Center again!

"Oh, do you know Blissey?" Joy asked.

"Yes," Jessie said. "She and I were--"

"Will you take her?! Yes?! Good! Now, I'll just register you two as trainers, here's a Pokedex, food, and a guide to the Pokemon Leagues. Have fun, there's a booth over there, why don't you have some lasagna?!" Joy was relieved. Blissey--well, Blissey just wasn't cut out to be a nurse.

"Er, okay..." Jessie, James, and Blissey blinked as they were pushed towards a corner booth by Nurse Joy.

After they finished sorting everything, Jessie raised an eyebrow. "I think it's time to ask our Pokemon what the heck happened in there."

James nodded in agreement. They let Arbok, Wheezing, and Meowth out of the Pokeballs.

"Me-owth, don't you eva put me in onea those things again!" Meowth said, slightly dizzy.

"Meowth. What. Is. Going. ON?!!!" Jessie screamed.

"Well, ya see..." Meowth laughed nervously. "Arbok, Wheezing, could you fill me in a bit?"

Meowth had a long whispered talk with the other Pokemon while Jessie and James waited impatiently.

"Okay." Meowth took a deep breath. "Thetwerpsadragonairanhesavedourbutts."

"WHAT?"

"Okay, okay! You know the twerp who disappeared?"

Jessie and James nodded.

"You know those rumors about d'Boss's experiments?"

They shuddered and nodded.

"Well...That Dragonair saved our butts, y've managed ta figure that out?"

"Yeah."

"Well...That Dragonair...Was that twerp with the Pikachu we chased around for years."

"WHAT?!"

Meowth, Arbok, and Wheezing all told their stories. Unlike Brock, Jessie and James knew to believe it. They'd heard way too many rumors not to.

You know what's worse? Arbok hissed.

"What?" asked Jessie.

He asked me to call his friends...

There was a moment of silence. 

"Well," James cried, "We can call all of the Pokemon Centers!! One of the nurses must know something about them!"

"Yeah!" Jessie said. "We owe that much to the twerp!"

They ran to the pay phone, looking up numbers in the light of the setting sun.

~*~

Oog... Ash materialized on the ground, faint memories of a song with a nice melody and a zealous background playing through his head.

ASH!!!!

Oh boy.

Sandstone tunneled up to him. WHAT IN THE UNHOLY CRIMSON HECK WERE YOU THINKING?!

Was I supposed to let them die?!

Y--no--but--Dangit Ash!! You're going to be the death of me!!

Yeah. I plan to be. Ash shakily lifted his head from the floor. If Giovanni doesn't get you first for that everstone stunt...

Sandstone laughed nervously, then sobered. Hey, Ash, what the heck were you talking about back there? That chess stuff?

Ash laughed. Brock tried to teach me chess once...He said it would help if we ever went to war against Team Rocket...Yeah, sure. I was just sitting innocently in my office, when he came in...

~

"Ash Ketchum, I swear, it is your duty to learn some military strategy!" Brock yelled.

"But CHESS, Brock?" Ash moaned. 

"Yes, chess! It'll teach you strategy! Now, mister Pokemon Master, you get over here!"

Ash sighed and walked over to Brock's chessboard.

Brock smiled. "Okay. I'll be black, you be white."

Ash shrugged. "Kay."

"Now--" Brock lifted up a thing that looked like a tower of a castle. "This is a rook, Ash. Repeat after me: A 'Rook'."

"A rook, Brock, it's a rook, yeah, sure."

Brock lifted one of the many small pieces in the front row. "This is a pawn. A PAWN, Ash. Remember this. Now say it..."

"A pawn, Brock, I get it, it's a pawn."

Brock took one of the pieces that looked like a Ponyta. "This is a KNIGHT. A knight, Ash, a knight. Say it..."

"A KNIGHT. IT IS A KNIGHT."

"Good." Brock picked up a piece with a notch in the top. "This is a 'bishop', Ash. It's a bishop. Now--"

"IT'S A BISHOP!!! OKAY!!!"

"Now this is a queen, Ash." Brock smiled, pretending not to notice Ash's irritation.

"Yeah. Kakkoii." Ash muttered.

Brock lifted his head. "What did you say?"

"Yeah, cool," Ash said, puzzled.

"I could've sworn you said something different...Oh well. This piece with the cross on top is the king. Got it?"

"Yes, Brock..."

"All right. Now, the pawn can only move one square forward, except when it hasn't moved yet, when it can move two, or when it takes a piece, where it moves diagonally. If it gets to the other side, it can become a queen, knight, bishop, or rook. Now, when the knight--"

"What?!" Ash yelled.

"Pikapi!" Pikachu jumped up. He began a long speech.

"Oh, I see!" Ash said when Pikachu finished. "So if my pieces were here..." He moved some pieces.

"Pika. Pikachu!"

"And the bishops move like this?" He moved one on a diagonal line.

"Pika!"

"Sugoii! I think I've got it!"

"What?" Brock asked.

Ash looked at him strangely. "Sweet! I think I've got it!"

Brock shook his head. "I could've sworn you didn't say 'sweet'..."

"Okay, I get chess, Brock, do I have to play it?"

"Er...No.."

"Ok then! Bye!!" Ash and Pikachu ran out of the room.

"ARRGH!" Brock yelled.

~

Sandstone laughed. Cool!

Ash sighed. Thinking about those days tended to be a bit depressing. So, the boss beat me up pretty good. You think he's done yet?

Sandstone sighed. Probably not. He yanked you out of Serena's place way too soon. I haven't seen him this mad since that Master revoked his budget!

Ash moaned. Gee, I have a singular talent for ticking him off, don't I?

Oh yeah, I forgot, that was you.

Yeah, it's easy to forget...

Ash...

"DRAGONAIR!!" Giovanni roared. "Match with Machoke One!! NOW!!"

Aw crud, Ash, this is not going to be pretty...

Pulling up his strength, Ash formed a ball of some kind of energy, too tired to care what it was. As quickly as he could, he added an Ice Beam, praying he wouldn't have to withstand any attacks.

...Ash...I think it worked... Sandstone said, amazed. No way...Someone finally beat Machoke...

Sure enough, Machoke was frozen. Ash sighed in relief.

Suddenly, the world was engulfed in white as pure energy emerged from his soul.

He noticed too late Giovanni scrambling for a remote control. He noticed too late the insane amount of power he was building up.

And a Mew with the wings of a Dragonite tottered on the floor.

Ash! He vaguely heard Sandstone yell in awe.

And then the combined energies of a thousand psychic Pokemon invaded his head. Completely confused and weakened, he had no idea what to do as the energy built up.

And all of a sudden, Ash Ketchum was a prisoner in his own mind.

~*~

The phone at the Viridian City Pokemon Center rang. Brock answered.

Ten seconds later he was throwing on a jacket.

"Brock?!" Misty asked.

"I got a lead on Ash!" Brock said.

Pikachu leapt from the windowsill and Togetic teleported to Misty's side.

Within a minute of Jessie and James' call, Brock, Joy, Misty, Pikachu, and Togetic were running through the night to the Viridian City Gym.

~*~

Ash! Sandstone yelled. Why won't you answer me?!

~Sandstone!~ Ash tried to yell. It was no use. He still had no control over himself.

"Mew. Use Recover."

The thousand psychic Pokemon knew how to perform the technique. And, in Ash's body, they did.

What did you do to him, you-- Sandstone uttered many words peculiar to his language. Of course, he got no answer.

The door flew open. A cold wind blew down the corridor.

"Giovanni!"

"Pika!"

~Brock! Misty! Pikachu!~ Ash tried to yell. ~Let me go, you morons!~

"What did you do to Ash?!" Misty yelled. For a second, one could've sworn she was fighting down something. She quickly turned that energy to the task of finding Ash and getting him out of this place.

"PIKA!!!" Pikachu yelled.

"So." Giovanni's manner was aloof, not quite cold. "You know that the child is here."

~Child?!~ Ash continued to struggle.

"Child?" Brock asked in confusion, then quickly resumed his aggressive stance. "That's right!! Now will you tell us where he is, or do we have to beat you up?"

Giovanni rolled his eyes. "Oh, heaven...Was I ever that melodramatic?"

You still ARE, you moron, Sandstone yelled.

"It shall be a fight, then." Giovanni smiled, seeing the perfect way to get sadistic revenge. "Mew!"

~Is that me? Darn, it IS, isn't it? MAN I hate him!!~ Ash sighed in frustration.

You melodramatic superficial odiferous jerk moron sadist devil evil-person pond-scum annoying evil satanistic rodent illegitimate child!!!! Sandstone screamed, knowing there wasn't anything he could do except curse Giovanni.

"A _MEW_?!!!!?" Brock said. "HOLY MILTANK!!!"

"...Isn't that supposed to be...very rare?" Misty asked, trying to remember the rumors Darien had told her.

"Yeah!" Brock said.

"This Mew is special," Giovanni half-gloated. "My Mew is a hybrid, with both Dratini and Mew DNA."

"PIKA?! PIKAPI!!!" Pikachu screamed, still remembering that Dratini that had refused to fight him.

~Pikachu!! Dangit!!~ Ash cursed. ~Why can't I say anything?!~

"You can do that?" Misty asked.

All of a sudden, Brock was remembering Pikachu's story of the fight at Viridian Gym as well. It couldn't be true...Could it? Those two people on the phone HAD been awfully reluctant to tell him how Ash was doing, only that he was still alive. But...

"My Mew, shall we say, has a ... rebellious spirit. I've had to enlist quite a lot of Pokemon to restrain him." Giovanni smiled. Why not show a few cards? He still had an ace up his sleeve.

Stupid stereotypical villain!! Sandstone yelled. You aren't supposed to tell them your plan!! Oh, you don't HAVE a real plan...Wonderful...BUT STILL!!

~Psychic Pokemon?~ Ash thought. ~Oh, WONDERFUL!~

Pikachu's eyes widened further. "Pika! Pika pikachu Pikapi!! Pikachu!" Oh! I'll get you out, Ash! I swear!!

~Pikachu!~

"All right, enough of the small talk. Mew! Dragon Rage!" Giovanni smirked.

~What? No! Don't do that! WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!~

The psychic Pokemon let loose a huge Dragon Rage.

"Eeee!" Misty yelled. "That thing knows Dragon Rage!"

Ash's friends struggled up.

"We can't go one-on-one against that Pokemon," Brock said. "Onix! Vulpix! Go!"

"Staryu, Togetic, Starmie, Seaking, Poliwrath, Golduck, go!" Misty yelled, letting loose all of her Pokemon.

Joy looked doubtful that her one Pokemon would help, but yelled, "Chansey, go!"

~Ooohh, boy,~ Ash thought, looking at the Pokemon ranged before him.

He felt himself preparing a Thunderwave. ~What? NO!! You are NOT attacking them!!~

He fought with all his might.

Staryu threw itself at him, and the psychic Pokemon brought up a bubble just in time.

~Those are my FRIENDS!!~ Ash yelled inside his mind, struggling hard, a point of saffron in a cloud of darkness.

He watched in horror as HE launched a Thunderwave straight at Misty...

~*~


	11. Approach the Beautiful Morning

If I Could Change the World

Chapter 10: Approach the Beautiful Morning 

~*~

Jessie and James returned to their booth. 

"Ya think they believed us?" Meowth asked.

"I don't know..." Jessie sighed. "It is awfully unbelievable..."

"I wonder what they'll do when they find out he's a Dragonair?" James mused.

Jessie put her head in her hands. "I wonder if they'll ever KNOW he's a Dragonair..."

"Huh?" James said.

"The boss is awfully tough...What if they...don't get past him? What if he calls the whole team against them?"

James scratched his head. "Well, they certainly kicked OUR butts easily enough..."

"James, we're talkin' hundreds a'people!" Meowth said. "With at least six Pokemon each, and all better than us!"

James sighed. "I forgot how bad we are.."

"Were," Jessie said firmly.

They sat in silence for a little longer.

"Jessie?" James asked. "What are we going to do now?"

"Well..." Jessie sighed. "I don't know..."

"Sey! Blissey bliss bliss sey!!" Hey! Nurse Joy gave you Pokedexes!Blissey pointed at one.

Jessie flipped open hers and pressed a button. After a few more buttons, her Pokedex chirped, "Jessie of Rainbow Town. This trainer licensed by Nurse Joy of Rainbow Town. This is an official ID."

"Cooooool," said James, programming his.

Meowth suddenly realized something. "You know what this means?" he asked. "We're--we're LEGITIMATE!"

Jessie and James gasped. "Oh my god!!"

James paused. "Er, what does that mean?"

Jessie whacked him with a frying pan. "It means we aren't criminals!"

"Oh yeah." James sweatdropped.

Blissey was confused. "Sey?" Criminals?

"It wasn't our fault!!" Meowth said quickly.

Blissey smiled happily. Well, I'm glad you aren't now!!

"So are we," James said.

"Hey..." Jessie said slowly. "Does this mean..."

"We can actually become..." James continued.

"Pokemon trainers?" Meowth finished.

James scratched his head. "I dunno, do they let Pokemon in? What IS Meowth, anyway?"

Jessie paused. "You know, I actually have no idea..."

"Mmmm..."

They sat for a second, staring out to space in identical poses.

Jessie snapped out of it. "Well, Meowth, do you *want* to train Pokemon?"

"Um..." Meowth sighed. "I dunno if I could do that..."

"Well, why don't we all travel around, like we usually do?" James offered.

"Yeah!" Jessie cried. "It shouldn't be THAT different, except we won't be stealing Pokemon!"

"Yeah, even down to da instant noodles," Meowth said dryly.

Jessie and James sweatdropped. "Yeah, the instant noodles..."

I know how to make pancakes, Blissey said.

They stared at her.

And from the way you're talking about instant noodles, you must've been doing something wrong...

Blissey thought for a second. You HAVE been getting the stuff with the sauce, right?

"Sauce?" Jessie asked.

Yeah, they have these bags of pasta you just add to milk and water and boil for a few minutes... They're only a buck each.

"Er..." Jessie, James, and Meowth said in unison.

Er, I'd better be the cook... I know where all the cheap food is. Joy never gets the really expensive stuff for me...She's afraid I'll spill it...Honestly, just because I did twelve times in a row...

Blissey scowled for a minute in annoyance, then noticed everyone staring at her. What?

"Oh, nothing," they said, quickly looking away.

"So we become Pokemon trainers?" James asked.

"Yeah," Jessie said.

"We're all agreed?"

"Yeah," Meowth said.

"Cool!" James said, smiling cutely.

"Cooool!" Jessie said.

"What?"

"Nothing, James." 

Meowth snickered.

James raised his drink box. "To tomorrow, then!"

They stared at him for a moment. Then, Jessie rose her glass. "Yeah, to tomorrow."

"To tomorrow," everyone joined in.

They clinked glasses.

~*~

The wave of electricity flew, out of anyone's control.

~NO!~

Misty had no time to react; it took place in less than a second.

Starmie, however, did.

The star-shaped Pokemon launched itself in front of its trainer, taking most of the force of the blast and deflecting the rest.

"Starmie!" Misty yelled, dropping to her knees and hugging her fallen Pokemon. "You saved me!"

~Oh, thank God, thank God, I'm so sorry.~ Ash would have been in tears if that was possible anymore.

Giovanni was leaving his psychic Pokemon to direct themselves, smirking.

"Onix! Rock Throw!" Brock tried. The pink bubble deflected everything.

~Oh, no,~ Ash thought as the Pokemon prepared a Hydro Pump to take out all of Brock's Pokemon.

~*~

Behind a pillar, a woman with wavy brown hair pulled into loops watched.

~Why does that Pokemon seem so familiar?~ she asked herself.

It didn't matter. Now was the time to take a stand.

She pulled two Pokeballs from her belt, silently releasing them.

A couple of weeks ago, a Team Rocket member had tried to quit just after catching some Pokemon for Giovanni. The Pokemon he'd caught had never been signed in to the inventory, so when he--disappeared--Serena had been free to take the Pokemon before anyone noticed them.

She'd released them all, but two wanted to stay. And so, a Pidgeot and a baby Articuno appeared on the floor.

She smirked, thinking about how annoyed Giovanni would be if he knew he'd missed the chance to have an Articuno...But now wasn't the time.

"Cunn?" the baby asked.

"A good Pokemon is fighting the bad Pokemon," she quickly explained. "And now, we have a chance to take the other good Pokemon and set them free."

Free? The baby said. Serena's heart twisted. Articuno wasn't really all that young. She'd been captured when she was a chick...

~Something like me.~

"Yes, Cuno," she said. "Now, Pidgeot can probably handle anyone who turns up--" Pidgeot smiled--"but if you could get ready for an Ice Beam, that would help."

Okay! she said brightly.

Sweet thing, the Pidgeot said warmly.

Serena, Pidgeot, and Articuno sneaked down the corridor and into the inventory room. Serena stretched her arm a little. "Here goes!"

Four by four, she tossed Pokeballs into the air. Enormous amounts of Pokemon poured out--water, fire, grass, dragon, psychic...Almost one of every species.

It was slow, considering the many, many Pokeballs in the room, and Serena was afraid that someone would come in. But Pidgeot explained the situation well, and none of the Pokemon made a peep. Any Pokemon that could started teleporting, taking any Pokemon it knew back to its trainer. But there were still so many...

Finally, she got to the end, and was faced with a crowd of Pokemon, all looking at her expectantly.

~Now I know how Moses felt.~ "All right," she said as quietly as possible, "we have to be very quiet if we want to escape from here. Be careful. Okay?"

All of the Pokemon nodded in agreement.

"All right, let's go," she said, hoping that she'd live up to her leader status.

The crowd of Pokemon crept down the hallways. Serena had guessed well; all of the security guards were watching the battle.

As they neared the door, she saw that the security system had been bypassed. She looked back and saw Chansey ducking behind a door.

She remembered the last conversation they'd had: "Chansey, you can come too," she'd said.

Chansey had smiled. No, I can't. You aren't going to wipe out all of Team Rocket in one try, no matter how good this Dragonair of yours is. And as long as Team Rocket is here, there'll be injured Pokemon. I can't just leave them alone.

She'd said softly, "I understand."

She opened the door.

All of the Pokemon filed out-- ~into the Promised Land.~ Some ran into the woods and tall grass. Some ran off into the town, hoping to find their own trainers.

And then there was the one who stood behind her. And the one who curled up in her arms.

"You're with me for the long haul, eh?" Serena asked, smiling.

Of course, said Pidgeot. We've been here this far, have we not?

"You have."

She got on Pidgeot's back, preparing to fly away from there. And as she looked back, she couldn't help thinking about that Pokemon, and about that black-haired baby at the edge of her memory...

"Farewell, Pokemon, Godspeed," she murmured as they flew off.

~*~

Ash wasn't sure what side to be on.

On one side was everybody he cared about...However, it was hard to be against the other side, himself. 

Now, he--them--had taken out almost all of the Pokemon against him--them, without even a scratch.

"Onix, return!" Brock called. He sighed. "I can't believe...it...knows Hydro Pump..."

"AND Thunderwave," Misty sighed.

"And Tackle..." Joy said. They turned and looked at her. "What?"

They coughed and quickly turned back around.

"This grows tiresome," Giovanni commented.

OH YEAH?! Well, YOU'RE tiresome, you pompous, arrogant, STUPID-- Sandstone yelled hoarsely. 

"That Pokemon keeps yelling," Joy noted.

"It's cussing Giovanni out."

"Huh? Brock, how'd you know that?"

Brock coughed again, and, luckily for him, he was interrupted.

"Finish them off!"

~WHAT?!!?~ Ash screamed mentally. ~I will NOT!!~

"Oooooh, boy," Brock said nervously, backing away.

YOU SORRY LITTLE-- Sandstone screamed. His voice gave out, and he was reduced to whispering, Mali viri est inimicum... 

"Pika?" You know LATIN?

Sandstone sweatdropped. No... Well, a LITTLE...

The psychic Pokemon, still listening to Giovanni, formed a quite large ball of energy. ~NO!~ Ash yelled inwardly.

"PIKAPI!!" Pikachu screamed. ~No, Ash, no, please, no, I will not let him do this to you--~

A bright, white light...

Ash recognized it, from--only fifteen minutes ago? 

~I really need to change my lifestyle...~

The psychic Pokemon were distracted, and Ash hurled his mental energy out with all his might.

~*~

A certain arrogant trainer with a cape was walking down the forest with his Umbreon.

"Ha ha, another beautiful day, Umbreon, fresh and ripe for the picking!" He assumed a demi-heroic stance. "Are we winners?!"

"Bre, breoon!" Yes, yes!

"Are we the best trainers in the galaxy?!"

"Bre, breoon!" Yes, yes!

"And WHAT is our mission on this fine day?!"

To seek out new life and new civilizations! To boldly go where no man has gone before! Umbreon chirped happily.

Gary sweatdropped. "Er, yeah. Actually, we're trying to fill up our Pokedex, but I GUESS you could put it that way....If you're demented..."

"Bre!" Umbreon said happily.

"Yeah..." Gary looked up and rubbed the back of his head. "Gee, I have a headache..."

Probably from getting up too early!! In Viridian City it's five AM!

"But here, it's seven."

Mmmm...

"Oh look! Drowzee!"

Umbreon assumed an attack position and Gary's day went on as usual.

~*~

With a small explosion, the light receded, and in its place stood a Pikachu with wings.

~Pikachu evolved!~ Ash said happily to himself.

He fired a hyper beam at Pikachu. It grazed him, but he still stood.

~That--is--IT!!!~

The Pokemon formed a huge ball of psychic energy--and aimed it at his friends.

~No! Not again!~

Pikachu thought quickly. ~If he hurts us, it'll tear him apart, I won't let that rat do this to him--~

It came to him in a flash of memory.

Hey, you stupid Pokemon!! he yelled. You couldn't read a Magicarp's thoughts if it sent them to you!! 

He twitched his ears, ran a little, and continued. You couldn't bend a spoon made of Jell-o!

Ash suddenly realized what Pikachu was doing and withdrew as far into his mind as possible.

The Pokemon turned and fired a Hyper Beam at Pikachu, who easily dodged it. He laughed. You couldn't block a Solar Beam at midnight!!

The Pokemon fired several shots at him. Pikachu dodged all but one, which grazed him. He grinned and ran a little further.

I don't think you could disable Splash!! Come on!! Give me your best shot!! 

The psychic Pokemon created a huge ball of energy.

~No!~ Ash mentally yelled, as sincerely as he could. ~Don't!~

He could've sworn they smirked at him as they fired the psychic cannonball.

Pikachu jumped as high as he could--it seemed like slow motion as he managed to direct his fall to miss the sphere.

The energy blasted through the wall and exploded on the ground. Pikachu ran and looked through the jagged hole in the wall, smirking slightly.

A room full of psychic Pokemon had been scorched by the blast. Many Pokemon were fainted; those that weren't were badly hurt. 

Pikachu pulled down his eyelid and stuck out his tongue. Nyaah! A Hypno glared poisonously at him before it toppled over.

Ash threw off the last vestiges of control from his mind. Pikachu! he yelled.

Pikachu whirled. Ash! he yelled, running towards him. Is that you?!

He ran into Ash, hugging him.

Yeah, it's me! Ash said.

Hey, Ash! Sandstone said hoarsely, tunneling towards them. This the Pikachu you were telling me about?

Yeah!! Pikachu, meet Sandstone. Sandstone, meet Pikachu.

Charmed, they both said, and laughed. 

Giovanni! Ash suddenly remembered. He turned--to find no one. 

Well, I better go before Lucifer comes back, Sandstone said. Call me when things settle down. 

I will! Goodbye! Ash called as Sandstone burrowed away.

What on earth happened to you, Ash? I mean, for heaven's sake, a _Mew_...

I think I'd better tell that to all of you at once, Ash said, turning to face Brock, Misty, and Joy.

"Darien!!" Misty squealed.

Ash froze and Pikachu paled as Misty ran into Darien's arms. "What are you doing here?"

"The building's gonna collapse!" he yelled. "You have to get out of here!!"

"What about all the other people in here?" Brock asked. 

"I saw a lot of people leave by the side door! They'll be fine!"

There was a rumbling--and a wall came down, revealing the dark forest outside. Without its support, the roof fell, barely missing them.

She--she loves him? Ash asked brokenly.

She thinks so.

Another wall fell, and the sun rose over the horizon, turning the bottom of the storm clouds bright pink--one of the prettiest sunrises Viridian had ever seen.

Ash, we should leave..

I can't go back, Pikachu, at least not now...I can't face Misty, and they wouldn't take a hybrid Mew as a Pokemon Master... IF they believed me...

Brock and Joy would...

Pikachu.

I'm following you, Ash, if you like it or not...

Okay, then. I guess it's time to follow.

Brock and Joy trailed Misty and Darien out of the building as the last walls collapsed. 

"It didn't have a good foundation," Joy whispered.

They held each other as two Pokemon, too fast and small to see, flew into the grey clouds of the horizon.

__

If I could be king,

Even for a day,

"That was Ash, wasn't it?" Joy whispered. 

Brock simply nodded.

"He can't run away forever..."

"We'll find him." Brock stated it as a fact, and it was. He would follow tat kid to the ends of the earth; he owed him at least that much.

__

I'd take you as my queen,

I'd have it no other way,

"Hopefully, he'll figure out to stop running..." 

"And if we're lucky, Misty will too."

"Hmm, you actually figured that out. Laudable."

"It's pretty obvious..."

"Still, not many men can see that kind of thing. You're special, Brock."

__

And our love would rule,

This kingdom we have made,

A crowd of people was showing up, some still in nightwear, to see the crumbled gym. Some were sifting through the rubble, helped by a mysterious Chansey. Officer Jenny was running around crazily, arresting Team Rocket members who'd dawdled too long and grilling people for information.

"Joy...in a year or two, when I have a ring...Will you marry me?"

Joy gasped. "Brock!"

"Because, Joy, you're special too, and I love you..."

"I love you too, Brock. And I accept."

"Now if we can only get everyone else's life together..."

__

'Till then I'll be a fool,

Wishing for the day,

"Joy! Brock!" Jenny ran up to them. "What happened?"

"The building collapsed, and Ash is still missing," Brock said.

"Was Ash there? Why did the building collapse? Come on guys, I have to have SOMETHING to tell the reporters!!" Jenny pleaded.

Joy laughed. "Okay, it happened like this..."

And the sun rose over Viridian City.

__

That I could change the world,

I would be the sunlight in your universe, 

You would think my love was really something good,

Baby if I could, 

Change the world......

~*~

Author's note: To my six devoted readers... ^^;; No, this is not over! Look for a new book titled "Sunlight in Your Universe" relatively soon! And after that, ten more... ^^;; And the AAMRN? I'm getting to it... There'll be a whole book of fluff for you soon enough...And the book before that? Pure Saliormoon R... For those of you who've seen that... --;;

And so, for a little while, I bid thee farewell--but I shall be back. Knowing my way of coming up with this stuff, you should be supplied until I'm in a nursing home... ^^;;;

~Meredith


End file.
